It's Right There

by CoffeeDrinker

[Complete] Luke/Lorelai. She looked him in the eye, she saw something there, and she realized she felt the same way. (Update: As of 10/31/14, the story is back to its original M-rated version)

3. Parts 14 to 18

"It's Right There – parts 14 – 18"

. . .

PART 14

. . .

"Yeah, Jess is up on the roof," Luke said, looking at Lorelai curiously.

Lorelai gasped and her eyes widened. "Oh my God." She clasped a hand over her mouth and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

Luke glanced questioningly at Rory, who raised her eyebrows and shrugged. Luke walked down the hallway and found Lorelai sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her face in her hands. He stopped a few feet away from her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Her hands still covering her face, she shook her head toward the ground. "Nothing," she mumbled.

Luke stared at her for a moment, then folded his arms across his chest. "I can't believe this," he said sternly.

Lorelai slowly removed her hands from her face and looked up at him. She swallowed hard and said quietly, "You know what happened?"

"I don't understand you sometimes," he said, shaking his head disappointingly. "You say you're gonna make an effort with Jess, that you're gonna try to be nice to him, but here you are – mad just because he's around. You know, he's doing you a favor up there, Lorelai. He doesn't have to – ."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Luke," Lorelai interrupted loudly. She started biting her thumbnail nervously.

"Oh, I don't?" he asked haughtily. "Well, it seems pretty obvious to me."

Lorelai shook her head and sighed. "Luke."

"Lorelai, Jess is apart of my life now," he said. "I wish you'd try to understand that. I can't keep – ."

"Luke!" she yelled, interrupting him again.

"What?" he said loudly.

Lorelai glanced into the kitchen and saw Rory staring at them, but she quickly went back to her homework when she saw Lorelai look in. Lorelai stood up from the couch and took a few steps toward Luke. She folded her arms across her chest and clenched her teeth together. She exhaled loudly before she said, "Jess just saw me naked."

Luke's face went blank. His eyes slowly widened as he stared at her, processing what she'd said. He stammered, "Uh, wha. . .what?"

Lorelai nodded and pointed toward the front door. "Yes, your perfect little nephew out there just saw me naked!" she whispered loudly.

His eyes looked toward the front door, then back to Lorelai. "He saw you. . . naked? When? How? Where?"

"Yeah, don't forget who, what, and why," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "He looked in my window when I was changing, that little. . .ugh!" she said angrily, clenching her fists tightly.

"Wait, you actually saw him looking in at you?" Luke asked, still in shock.

"Yes!" she hissed. She paused and thought for a moment. "Well, no. . .not exactly. I saw a shadow at the window and I thought it was you, but then you just told me that you weren't up there, so it must've been him!"

Luke took a deep breath. His face reddened slightly and his nostrils flared. He quickly turned and headed toward the front door. Lorelai followed him, grabbing her denim jacket on the way out.

The pounding got louder as they stepped out the door. Luke walked onto the front lawn as Lorelai stood uncomfortably on the porch, waiting to see what happened.

"Jess!" Luke yelled, staring up at him on the roof.

The pounding stopped and Jess looked down at the ground. "What?" he replied.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Luke yelled.

"I'm sewing a quilt, what does it look like I'm doing?" Jess retorted.

"You're supposed to be cleaning the gutters, not looking in people's windows!" Luke yelled, pointing up at him.

Jess shrugged. "No idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't give me that!" Luke yelled. "You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"You must be thinking of someone else," Jess said, standing up and stretching his arms over his head.

"You were looking in Lorelai's window, she saw you!" Luke yelled.

Jess scoffed. "She did not – she didn't even turn her head toward the . . ." Jess' voice trailed off. He grimaced, realizing what he'd just said.

Luke's eyes widened and his face tightened. "Jess, what's the matter with you? You better explain yourself right now!"

"Look, it was an accident," Jess said, holding his hands out innocently in front of his chest.

"How the hell was it an accident?"

"I didn't know she was in there when I looked in, okay?" Jess said with a loud sigh. "It's not like I had my face pushed up against the glass like I was Ralph and she was a Red Ryder BB Gun. She dropped her robe just as I walked by. How was I supposed to know that would happen at that exact moment?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she listened from the porch. She shoved her hands into her pockets and shifted her feet, a mixture of anger and embarrassment running through her.

Luke didn't say anything for a moment. He stared up at Jess, trying to decide whether to believe him or not. He sighed loudly as he glanced quickly at Lorelai, then looked back up at Jess. "You swear it was an accident?"

"Yes, sorry, I didn't mean to look at her, okay?" Jess said, adding an annoyed groan.

Luke shook his head slightly. "Just finish the gutters and stay away from the damn windows," he said sternly. He started walking toward Lorelai on the porch.

Lorelai scoffed. "That's all you're gonna say to him?" she said, stepping off the porch. She looked up at Jess, whose eyes widened when he saw her. He turned his head away from her, a slight embarrassment on his face.

"Listen, maybe no one explained to you the etiquette of cleaning out gutters, but around here we don't walk around looking into windows like Mrs. Kravitz while we do it!" Lorelai said loudly. She took a deep breath. "How dare you – ."

Luke reached out and turned her toward him. "Lorelai, come on, I took care of it."

Lorelai shook her arm out of his grasp. "You call that taking care of it?" she asked with astonishment.

Luke shrugged. "Yeah."

"Look, I apologized, what else do you want from me?" Jess asked.

"Lorelai, he didn't mean to do it," Luke explained. "You heard him, it was just an accident."

"Ugh! I can't believe you're defending him!" Lorelai said loudly, throwing her hands up in frustration. She turned around and stormed across the front yard.

"Where are you going?" Luke called after her.

"For a walk!" she yelled angrily.

Luke sighed loudly as he watched her walk quickly down the street. He glanced up at Jess, who was staring down at him. Luke shoved his hands into his jeans and looked around the yard uncomfortably.

"Uh, I'm not exactly an expert on this, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to follow her," Jess said.

Luke looked up at him. "Work on the gutters and don't talk."

Jess shrugged. "Just trying to help." He kneeled back down and continued on the gutters.

"Oh, you've been plenty of help today, thank you," Luke said, rolling his eyes. Luke walked into the house, slamming the door behind him. He paced back and forth in the front hallway for a few seconds before he finally walked back outside. He crossed the yard and headed after her down the street.

. . .

Lorelai knocked loudly on Sookie's front door. "Come on, Sookie, please be home, please be home," Lorelai muttered. After waiting a few seconds, she turned around and glanced toward the street, noticing that Sookie's car wasn't anywhere in sight.

She sighed loudly and walked off the porch. She stood in front of the house, glancing around at the town square for a few seconds before walking quickly down the sidewalk. She eventually ended up near the old bridge. She walked to the center of it, sat down on the edge, and stared out at the water.

. . .

Lorelai's eyes were closed and she was clutching her legs tightly against her chest as her chin rested on her knees. She heard footsteps getting closer to her on the bridge. They stopped when they reached her, and she opened her eyes and glanced down, recognizing Luke's shoes. She brought her gaze back to the water.

"It took me an hour to find you," Luke said.

"Well, then you shouldn't become a professional hide and seeker," Lorelai replied.

He sat down next to her. "Talk to me."

She stared straight ahead but said nothing.

Luke sighed. "Lorelai, you've probably been thinking about this for an hour, I know you have something to say."

Lorelai turned to look at him, and he saw that her eyes were red from crying. He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her body against his and sniffled as he kissed her head. After a minute of holding her, Luke said, "This is crazy. Why are you so upset?"

Lorelai lifted her head up and pulled back from him. "What?"

He shrugged. "I mean, this seems like a big deal now and I can see how it'd be embarrassing for you, but everyone'll forget about it in a few days and things will be back to normal."

Lorelai scoffed and shook her head. "I know that, Luke. That's not the point right now. The point is that it happened, it's embarrassing, and it's making me upset – and look who's right at the center of it – Jess," she said, making a face.

"Exactly, Jess," Luke repeated. "Would you be this upset if it happened with someone else – someone you didn't already hate?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'd be upset if it happened with anyone." She paused a moment. "Would you be this not-upset if it happened with someone else?"

"What are you talking about?" Luke said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm talking about the way that you supposedly 'took care of it'," Lorelai said, using her fingers to make quotation marks in the air. "You don't seem mad at all that someone else, in particular a seventeen year old kid, saw your girlfriend naked. You were actually defending him, Luke."

Luke rolled his eyes. "What am I supposed to do, Lorelai? It happened, it was an accident, it's over now. It's not like punishing him is gonna change anything. It's not like he stole something and I can force him to give it back. I can't force him to forget what he saw. He didn't do it on purpose. He wasn't trying to see you naked."

She exhaled loudly. "Okay, so if Dean had been up there on the roof and he had been the one to see me naked and said it was an accident, you would feel the same way?"

Luke thought for a moment. "I don't. . .I'd probably. . ." He sighed. "I don't know."

Lorelai nodded. "Well, I do. You wouldn't believe anyone else who called something like that an accident, but since it was perfect little Jess, all is right with the world," she said, rolling her eyes. She stared down at a twig floating in the water. "Why is it that every time there's tension between you and me, it has something to do with Jess?"

"I don't know," Luke replied.

She clenched her fists. "Ugh, I'm so sick of fighting about him."

"Well, so am I," Luke said with a sigh. "Stop letting him get to you."

Lorelai scoffed and nodded. "Okay, so it's all my fault, great."

Luke took a deep breath. "That's not what I meant."

Lorelai was silent for a moment. Then she said quietly, "Luke, I've been trying with Jess. I've been good, I've tried to talk to him, I've tried to get to know him."

"I know you have," Luke agreed, running his hand up and down her back. "Thank you."

"But, it's just not. . ." Lorelai sighed. "I really don't think . . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to gather her thoughts.

"Lorelai, don't give up trying just because of this," Luke said. "This was just an accid -."

"An accident," Lorelai finished for him. She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine, it was just an accident, but it still happened and I'm still upset and. . .it's just, this whole Jess thing is making me so stressed out. I can't keep worrying about all this stuff all the time." She paused for a moment, then looked up and released a deep sigh into the sky. "It's just not gonna work out, Luke."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about?"

Lorelai turned to look at him. She swallowed hard, and as tears ran down her cheeks, she said, "I'm talking about us. It's just not gonna work out."

Luke's eyes widened. "Don't say that. You know that's not true."

She shook her head as more tears streamed down her face. "It's just too much right now. Jess and I. . . we're just never gonna get along, Luke. And I don't want to make you choose between us, so . . . "

"Lorelai, stop," Luke said sternly. "You can't give up on us just because Jess annoys you. That has nothing to do with us. That's a completely different subject than us being together."

Lorelai sniffled loudly and wiped her eyes. "Luke, Jess is apart of your life, he's always gonna be around. I just. . .I don't think I can deal with him. Maybe we should just. . .take a break from us for awhile."

Luke sighed. "You always try to run away when things don't go as perfectly as you want them to, and I'm not gonna let you do that this time."

"Luke, I - ," Lorelai started.

"Lorelai, listen to me," Luke interrupted. "If you're not in love with me anymore, if you don't want to be with me, then I can understand that – that's the only reason we should even consider breaking up. Is that what you're saying, that you're not in love with me anymore?"

Lorelai stared at him for a moment before she swallowed hard and shook her head. "No."

"Well, then Jess should have nothing to do with whether or not we're together. Just forget about him, just focus on me. I'm not letting you give up on this relationship for something that stupid, do you hear me?"

Lorelai took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

Luke stood up and held out his hands to her. She grabbed hold of them and he pulled her up off the ground and into a warm embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder as his arms held her tightly. They stood there hugging for a few minutes, the only sound being that of Lorelai sniffles.

Finally, she said softly, "I didn't wanna break up, Luke. I just didn't know what else to do."

"I know," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

She pulled back from him and smiled. "Love you too." She kissed him, then rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled softly.

"It's okay," he said, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "Look, we're gonna work through this, you know?"

She nodded. "I know."

"I know you don't like him," Luke said. "But give it time; maybe after awhile you guys'll get along."

"I've been trying," Lorelai reminded him.

"I know you have," Luke said.

"It's gonna be creepy now," Lorelai said. "He saw me naked, Luke." She shuddered. "Oh God, how am I gonna look him in the eye again?"

"Well, if it makes it easier, I don't think he'll be looking at your eyes," Luke said.

Lorelai pulled away from him and smacked him on the shoulder. "This isn't funny," she said with a small laugh.

He smiled. "Come on, let's go home."

She paused before she asked, "Is he still there?"

Luke nodded. "Lorelai, you're gonna have to see him again eventually. You might as well get it over with now." He laced his fingers through hers and they started walking toward the house.

. . .

As they approached the house, they noticed Jess wasn't working on the roof. "Did he go home?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shrugged. "Maybe he's inside."

They walked into the house, where Rory was still doing her homework at the kitchen table as Jess sat next to her. Luke led Lorelai into the kitchen. Jess and Rory both looked up as they walked in.

Noticing how red Lorelai's eyes were, Rory's eyes widened. "Mom, is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Mmhmm," she said, forcing a smile. She looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Jess as a feeling of embarrassment washed over her.

"You done with the gutters?" Luke asked Jess.

He let out a small laugh. "Not even close. Just came in for a drink," he said, holding up a soda can.

"All right, finish it up and get back out there. It's gonna take all day," Luke said.

Lorelai turned around and left the kitchen. She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Luke walked in and sat next to her. "You all right?"

She nodded. "Fine, great, how are you?" she replied quickly.

"Uh, pretty good," he replied, narrowing his eyes at her. "Are you hungry? You never ate breakfast and it's already lunchtime. And I'm sure your body's going into some sort of coffee withdrawal by now."

Lorelai laughed. "It definitely is."

"I'll go make some, you think about what you want to do for lunch," Luke said.

"Okay," she said, smiling. She leaned in to kiss him before he stood up and walked out of the room. When he had disappeared into the kitchen, Lorelai stood up and walked out the side door. She walked around the porch over to the front yard where Jess was about to climb up the ladder. "Wait."

Not hearing her walk over, Jess was startled. He paused on the bottom rung. "What?"

She walked over to him, folding her arms over her chest. "Listen, we don't really get along."

"No, we don't," he said.

"And you know, Luke has this fantasy that one day we're gonna go through this whole weird bonding thing, but frankly, I don't see it happening," she said.

"Me either," he replied.

She shrugged. "Good, we agree on something. So listen, here's the proposal. You try to act like a normal person around me instead of a smartass, and I'll stop acting like you're the spawn of the devil."

"What's the point of that?" he asked.

She glanced toward the house, making sure Luke wasn't looking for her. "Well, if we can engage in a normal conversation once in awhile and pretend to get along, Luke will leave us alone and won't try to force us into becoming best friends anymore."

"Ah," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, so all we have to do is occasionally pretend to like each other for Luke's sake. Deal?" Lorelai asked.

He shrugged. "Deal."

"Good," she said with a nod. "And who knows, maybe the pretend niceness will turn into genuine niceness someday."

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a doubtful look.

She shrugged. "I said maybe." She started walking up to the porch. As she reached the front door, she turned back and said, "And if I ever catch you near my bedroom window again, I will be forced to take drastic measures that may end with a post-funeral party in your honor."

Jess sighed. "I wasn't lying, that really was an accident," he insisted.

She stared at him for a moment, trying to read his facial expression. She slowly nodded. "Then don't let it accidentally happen again."

He nodded and climbed up the ladder as she turned around and walked into the house.

. . .

The next evening, Lorelai and Rory walked into Miss Patty's dance studio for the town meeting, arriving late as usual. Luke sat in the back row with two seats saved for them. Rory sat on the aisle as Lorelai slid into the seat next to him. She kissed him before whispering, "What'd we miss?"

"Uh, nothing much," he said with a shrug. "Just the usual boring reminders. Oh, and there was an announcement about the Founder's Day Festival."

"What – they're postponing it again?" Lorelai asked. "It was supposed to be last month. When is it now?"

"No, it's still next week," he said, rolling his eyes. "They were just looking for volunteers to bring the matches."

Lorelai nodded. "Ah, I gotcha." Lorelai leaned over and relayed the message to Rory, then they turned their attention to Taylor up at the podium.

" . . . to please come out and show your support for the team," Taylor concluded. He shifted through the papers in front of him. "Okay, I think that's all the topics I wanted to address. Now then, the floor is open. Are there any issues to be discussed?"

Bootsy stood up. "I have a problem with Luke's Diner."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh geez," he mumbled. "Does anyone actually care about his problems?"

"Bootsy?" Lorelai whispered. "No, I'm pretty sure everyone hates him."

Up at the podium, Taylor nodded. "Oh yes, thank you for reminding me."

Luke stood up. "What the heck is the problem?"

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other and shrugged.

"The problem is, Luke," Taylor started. "That for the past few weeks, there have been several complaints about the inconsistency of your hours of operation. When the sign on the door says that you open at 6 a.m., and someone shows up to the diner at 6 a.m. but it's not open, that causes confusion and chaos."

Luke scoffed loudly. "How exactly does that cause chaos?"

"Well, it forces the townspeople to rearrange their entire morning schedule in order to make up for the time they lose waiting for you to open, or having to go out and find another place to eat. It throws off their daily routines, Luke," Taylor said.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll take down the sign that has the hours on it and replace it with a sign that says "Open When I Feel Like It."

Lorelai and Rory giggled next to him. "Ha, that was good," Lorelai said quietly.

Bootsy turned around and pointed a finger at Lorelai. "She's the problem, Taylor. Ever since those two got together, Luke's establishment has gone downhill."

Lorelai scoffed and jumped up. "That's not true!"

"Leave her out of this," Luke said sternly.

"Yeah, no one likes you, Bootsy," Lorelai muttered under her breath.

"Patty, how long has this been going on?" Taylor asked, gesturing to Luke and Lorelai.

Miss Patty pulled out her date book. She flipped through several pages, then announced, "They've been together. . . one month this past Saturday." She looked towards Lorelai and Luke and smiled. "Aww, congratulations."

Luke rolled his eyes as Lorelai smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Well, that does seem to fit the timeline of the complaints," Taylor said.

"Oh, Taylor, just leave them alone," Miss Patty said.

"Yeah, leave us alone," Lorelai said. "Instead of complaining about Luke interrupting your stupid daily routines, you should be happy for him that he's not still that guy who used to sit in his diner all day long with no life whatsoever."

Luke looked at her and groaned. "Thank you," he said, rolling his eyes.

"You're welcome." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before she sat down.

"This is a problem that needs to be corrected for the sake of the town, Luke," Taylor said. "You have to stick to the scheduled hours that you post on the door or you have to hire more help."

"I don't have to do anything, Taylor," Luke said loudly.

"No, but you should if you want to prevent Stars Hollow from turning into a rundown travesty of a town," Taylor said.

Luke let out a laugh. "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I'm serious Luke. If you don't deal with this problem now, it will only get worse," Taylor said.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Luke said sarcastically. "Are we done here?"

Lorelai stood up. "I'm done."

Rory stood up. "Me too. Let's get pie."

"Good, let's go," Luke said. They started walking to the door. Luke turned around and announced, "We're going to the diner for pie – and no one else is invited." A disappointed murmur went through the crowd as the three of them exited the dance studio.

As they walked toward the diner, Lorelai and Rory were laughing. "Did you see the serious look on Taylor's face when he was talking about the town turning into a travesty?" Rory asked.

Lorelai laughed. "Oh, I know! What the heck was that all about?"

Luke sighed. "It's just Taylor being Taylor." He unlocked the door and they walked into the diner, then he locked it back up as Lorelai and Rory sat at the counter.

Luke put on a fresh pot of coffee and went into the kitchen to get the pie. He brought it out to the counter and cut them each a slice, then poured them some coffee. They both thanked him before quickly digging into their pieces.

"Mmm, so good," Lorelai said.

"Mmhmm," Rory agreed.

He leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched them with a small smile on his lips. Lorelai finished chewing and said, "Why are you grinning like that?"

Luke shrugged. "No reason. I just realized that I don't ever have to buy you expensive gifts because you're quite content with some sort of junk food product."

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, but the best type of present is a junk food product along with an expensive gift. You can never go wrong if you get both."

"Two gifts are definitely better than one," Rory said.

Luke smiled. He walked into the kitchen and returned a minute later with a glass of juice for himself. Lorelai ate the last bite, then pushed the plate toward him and said, "Finished. More pie, please."

"No," Luke said, shaking his head.

Lorelai gasped. "What? I said please!"

"That was a big piece," Luke pointed out. "You can't still be hungry."

"I didn't say I was hungry, I said I wanted pie," Lorelai said. "It's the addiction, Luke."

"Yeah, well, I'm not feeding your addiction tonight," Luke said, taking her plate and putting it in the sink. Lorelai pouted as she picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee. "So, I suppose you want to go to the Founder's Day Festival this weekend?" Luke asked unenthusiastically.

Lorelai nodded excitedly. "It's the first time in a long time that I'll have someone to go with. I mean, besides Rory," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you," Rory said through a mouthful of pie.

Lorelai looked at Luke curiously. "Why – do you not wanna go?"

"I think that's a given," Luke said. "But we can go if you want to."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked. "We don't have to."

"You wanna go, we're going," Luke said. He paused a moment. "Wait, it's on Friday night."

"Aw, shoot," Lorelai said, biting her lip. "Okay, well, I'll see if I can get the Friday night dinner moved up an hour or so and then I'll come by afterwards and we can go to the festival."

Luke nodded. He paused a moment before he added quietly, "Or maybe I could go to dinner with you."

Lorelai and Rory glanced at each other warily. "What?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to go to one of those dinners," he said, reaching out and stroking her hand.

"You can just stay home and light yourself on fire – it'd be more fun," Lorelai said with a laugh.

Luke tilted his head and rolled his eyes. "I'm serious."

Lorelai swallowed hard. "Uh, I don't know, Luke."

"Just think about it," Luke said.

Lorelai shrugged. "Okay, I'll think about it."

Luke nodded. "Good."

. . .

PART 15

. . .

After finishing their coffee, Lorelai kissed Luke goodbye, and she and Rory left the diner. As soon as they were out on the sidewalk, Rory said, "So?"

Lorelai looked at her. "So what?"

"So, are you gonna let him go to dinner with us?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't want him to, but he looks like he really wants to go."

Rory nodded. "Yeah, he was really serious about it."

Lorelai bit her lip. "I know. I don't know what to do." They walked along for a minute in silence before Lorelai let out a long sigh. "I just don't know how my mom's gonna act towards him, you know? I mean, she's said before that she's seen something between us, so she won't be shocked that it's him. . . "

"But?" Rory prompted.

"But. . ." Lorelai shrugged. "I know she's gonna try to tell me he's not good enough for me."

"Ah," Rory said.

"And plus, she's obviously gonna know that he's the guy I spent the night at her house with. She's gonna hold that against us for the rest of her life," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "I know it'll just turn out bad, I know it."

As they walked up their front porch, Rory said, "Mom, you love him, he loves you – does it really matter what Grandma thinks of him?" She pushed open the front door and they walked inside.

"No," Lorelai said. "I don't care what she thinks of him at all, that's not the point. The point is that my mom's not exactly the queen of subtlety, and I just don't want her to be rude to him or . . .I don't know. I just don't want Luke to feel bad." They paused in the hallway and stared at each other. "So, what should I do?"

Rory shrugged. "Whatever you want."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and patted Rory on the shoulder. "Big help, thanks."

Rory shrugged. "Sorry, I really don't know. Talk to Luke about it some more, explain to him why you don't want him to go. Maybe he'll change his mind," she said with a hopeful look.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Huh, that's not a bad idea." Lorelai kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you."

Rory smiled. "See, I helped, I just needed time."

Lorelai smiled and walked toward the steps. "Night."

. . .

On Wednesday afternoon at the inn, Lorelai grabbed her empty coffee mug from the front desk and walked into the kitchen. "Hey Sookie," she said as she walked over to the coffee maker.

"Hey honey," Sookie said. She removed a pan from the oven and set it on the stovetop, then turned around to face Lorelai. "How are - ouch!" Sookie exclaimed as her elbow banged against the corner edge of the counter.

Lorelai grimaced with sympathy pain. "Ooh, you okay?"

Sookie rubbed her elbow as she walked toward Lorelai. "Yeah, it's fine. It happened twice already this morning." Sookie sat on the chair at her small work table. "What's up? Slow morning?"

Lorelai filled up her mug and walked over to her. "Yeah, not much work to do today." Lorelai propped herself up on the small wooden table. She stared down at the ground as she swung her legs back and forth.

Sookie stared at the contemplative look on Lorelai's face. "So, I'm guessing you haven't decided what to do about Friday night dinner?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Luke brought it up again this morning."

"Sweetie, you do know that you're slightly psychotic, don't you?" Sookie asked.

Lorelai turned her head to look at her. "Excuse me?" she said with a laugh.

Sookie nodded. "You're making too big a deal about this. You'll go, you'll eat dinner, you'll talk, you'll leave. It's no big deal."

Lorelai sighed. "But – "

"And you said that you talked to him about it," Sookie pointed out.

"I know, but – " Lorelai started.

"And that he knows that it might not turn out perfectly but he still wants to go," Sookie finished.

"I know, I know," Lorelai said with an exasperated sigh. "I just don't want my mom to ruin this, Sookie."

Sookie stood up and smiled. "Honey, she's not gonna ruin anything. It doesn't matter what your parents think or what they say or how they act. You guys are in love, and nothing's gonna change it."

Lorelai smiled shyly and shrugged.

Sookie giggled and smacked her playfully on the shoulder. "See? I mean, if your mom says that she doesn't want you to date Luke, is that gonna change how you feel about him? Are you gonna listen to her?"

"No," Lorelai replied. She stared straight ahead for a moment. "Okay, I'll bring him to dinner."

Sookie smiled. "Good."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "How's Jackson? He's all moved in?"

"Yup, just about," Sookie said. "He just needs to get a few things out of storage."

Lorelai smiled. "So, how's it working out?"

Sookie giggled. "Great, really great."

"Aw, that's great, Sweetie," Lorelai said. "Let me know when you're ready to go wedding dress shopping."

"Will do," Sookie said with a nod.

Lorelai took a sip of coffee, then stood up. "Okay, I have to go make a call." She started walking toward the door.

"See you later," Sookie said.

Lorelai walked into the lobby and over to Michel at the front desk. "Michel, everything all right?"

"Oh, you mean besides the fact that you lied and said that you'd be back in a second but you did not return for fifteen minutes?" Michel asked without looking up from the computer screen.

"Yes, besides that," Lorelai replied.

"Yes, everything is all right," he replied dryly.

Lorelai walked to the other end of the desk and picked up the phone. She dialed, then twirled her finger in her hair nervously as it rang on the other end.

"Hello?" Emily answered.

"Mom," Lorelai said. "It's me."

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Lorelai, hello."

"Um, are you busy right now?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I'm getting ready to go get my hair done," Emily replied.

"Ah, right, it's Wednesday," Lorelai said. "Well, this won't take long. Uh, I don't know how you're gonna react to this."

"What is it, Lorelai?" Emily asked, slightly annoyed.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Okay, listen Mom. . . there's a big festival here in Stars Hollow this Friday night that Rory and I really want to go to, and I was wondering if we could maybe move dinner up an hour or so."

Emily let out a small sigh. "I suppose that would be fine," she replied. "I guess I'll see you at six."

"Wait, wait Mom," Lorelai said quickly. "I'm not done."

"There's something else?" Emily asked.

"Um, yes," Lorelai said. She cleared her throat. "Um, Luke asked if he could come with me to Friday night dinner this week."

"Luke?" Emily asked with surprise. "Luke, the diner man?"

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai said. "Only he won't be attending as the diner man, but as. . . my boyfriend." Lorelai grimaced as she waited for Emily's reaction.

"Your boyfriend?" Emily repeated, sounding even more surprised. "Luke is your boyfriend? You're seeing Luke?"

"Yes, and he wanted to know if he could come to dinner on Friday," Lorelai said. "So, is that okay?"

"How long has he been your boyfriend?" Emily asked.

Lorelai sighed. "I don't know, Mom. Uh, about five weeks, something like that."

Emily exhaled loudly. "So I'm assuming he was the man who . . ." her voice trailed off.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Mom, please forget about that, I'm begging you. Just put that out of your mind and never think about it again. Uh oh, look Mom, you're gonna be late for your hair appointment, so just tell me – is it okay if Luke comes?"

Emily gasped. "My goodness, you're right. It's almost three."

"Mom?" Lorelai prompted.

"I suppose it's fine if he comes along, Lorelai," Emily replied. "Rory is still coming too, yes?"

"Yes, all three of us will be there. Thanks Mom," Lorelai said. "Bye."

"Goodbye," Emily replied.

. . .

That night after work, Lorelai walked into Luke's and glanced around the diner looking for Rory. She spotted her reading at a table by herself, and she walked over and sat down. "Hey you."

Rory looked up from her book and smiled. "Hey."

Lorelai looked around the crowded diner. "Man, how can you read in here?"

Rory shrugged. "I tune things out." She put her bookmark in her book and placed it on the table.

"I'm hungry. Where's Luke?" Lorelai asked.

Rory glanced toward the counter. "I don't know. There's Jess, though." She waved toward Jess, who walked over to them. "Hey."

"Hey," he said, nodding his head toward her.

"Hey Jess," Lorelai said.

"Hi," he said. "Uh, coffee?"

"Yeah," Lorelai replied. "Is Luke here?"

"He's in the kitchen. One of the regular cooks is sick," Jess said. "I'll be right back." He walked to the counter to get their coffee.

"So, uh, I called my mom today," Lorelai said.

Rory raised her eyebrows. "You did? For what?"

"To ask if Luke can come on Friday," Lorelai said.

Rory smiled. "Finally decided what to do, huh?"

Lorelai shrugged. "It took me awhile, but yeah."

"So, she said it's okay?" Rory asked.

Lorelai nodded just as Jess arrived with their coffee. He placed the mugs on the table, then shrugged and said, "I guess I can take your order. What do you want?"

"Burger and fries," Lorelai said.

"Same," Rory said.

"Uh, aren't you gonna write it down?" Lorelai asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Jess tapped his head. "Well, I try to give it as little work to do as possible, but I think my brain can handle remembering two burgers and fries." He turned around and walked back toward the counter.

Lorelai shrugged and turned to Rory. "Dinner's at six instead of seven on Friday so we'll have time to go to the festival afterwards."

"Okay, good," Rory said. She bit her lip and looked down at the table.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. "Something wrong?"

Rory shrugged. "Just thinking about what happened during the last Founder's Day festival."

Lorelai grimaced. "Why are you thinking about bad memories? Think happy thoughts. Think of how you got straight A's last semester. Think of how funny it was when Kirk tripped on our front porch last week. Ooh, think about that letter we got in the mail yesterday that told us we may already be a winner."

Rory laughed. "Okay, okay, happy thoughts prevail, thank you."

Lorelai smiled. "You're welcome."

Rory pushed a magazine towards Lorelai. "Oh, here, I picked this up for you on my way here."

"Oh cool, thanks." Lorelai flipped slowly through the Entertainment Weekly. She stopped on a page and gasped. "Arthur died."

"Arthur who?" Rory asked, trying to look at the page.

"Arthur who?" Lorelai asked with surprise. "We've seen Arthur and Arthur 2 like a billion times each, and you say Arthur who?"

Rory rolled her eyes. "He has a real name, Mom."

She frowned. "Had a real name," she mumbled. She glanced at the page. "Huh, Milton Berle died too. Man, how do I not know these things?"

"Well, you haven't been watching much television lately and that's how you get most of your entertainment news," Rory pointed out.

Lorelai nodded. "True." She closed the magazine and put it aside. She glanced up toward the counter, her eyes widening as she saw Luke walk out of the kitchen. She gave a small wave and he made his way over to their table.

"Hey," he said. He leaned down and kissed Lorelai. "Did you guys order?"

"Yup," Rory said. "Jess took it."

Luke rolled his eyes and sat down at their table. "Oh yeah? Then I wouldn't count on it being out any time soon since he never writes anything down and then he forgets to tell us what people want." He sighed and shook his head. He reached over and stroked Lorelai's hand. "So, how was your day?"

"Good, it was good," Lorelai said. "Uh, I called my mom. She said you can come to dinner on Friday but only if you wear an evening gown with matching shoes, and a yellow beret instead of a baseball cap."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Really? You asked her?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Yup, we have to be there at six."

Luke smiled. "Good, thanks."

"You're welcome," she said.

"Hey, looks like he did remember to tell someone," Rory said, pointing at Jess as he walked out of the kitchen. He carried two plates over to them and placed them on the table.

"Burgers and fries," Jess said.

Luke looked up at him. "Who cooked those?"

"I did," he replied with a shrug.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "You did?"

"Yeah, it's not exactly a difficult task, Uncle Luke," he said mockingly as he rolled his eyes. "Don't act so impressed."

"Luke," Luke replied sternly. "Just Luke."

Lorelai took a bite of her burger. "Mmm," she said, raising her eyebrows. She chewed her mouthful and said, "Wow, I think you should let him cook more often, Luke. This is pretty good."

Jess smirked and walked away from the table. Luke stood up. "I better get back in the kitchen."

"Okay. You're still coming over tonight, right?" Lorelai asked.

Luke nodded. "Yeah, probably around eight."

Lorelai smiled. "Okay. See you later."

"Bye Luke," Rory said.

Luke nodded toward them and walked away.

. . .

Later that night, Luke walked out of Lorelai's kitchen and down the hall to the living room. He wandered over to the mantle and looked at the many pictures that sat atop it. He picked one up of Lorelai and Rory taken just a few months earlier in front of the gazebo. He stared at it for several seconds and smiled to himself as he ran his finger over Lorelai's smiling face.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked.

Luke was startled. He looked up, surprised to see Lorelai standing only a few feet away, smiling at him. She walked over to him and looked at the picture he was holding. "Ugh, I look terrible in that picture."

He placed it back on the mantle and rolled his eyes. "You say that about every picture of yourself but I have yet to see one bad photograph of you."

She smiled. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

He smirked. "Oh no? Well, then you look like crap in every picture I've ever seen of you."

She laughed. "Very sweet, Luke. Thank you for that."

Luke smiled. He walked over to the couch and sat down, and Lorelai walked over and sat on his lap. "Uh, there are like ten other places to sit in this room," Luke pointed out.

"Yeah, but this is comfy," she said.

"For you," he muttered, repositioning his body to get more comfortable.

"Fine, I'll just go sit way over there in the armchair," Lorelai said, starting to get up. Luke put his hands on her waist and pulled her back down onto his lap. Lorelai smiled and leaned back against him. "Ha, see, you like it. Stop whining."

Luke slipped his hands under the front of her shirt and ran them over her midsection, a habit that Lorelai had gotten used to. Whenever they were alone, he would glide his hands gently over the soft skin of her stomach, and Lorelai loved the feeling of calm it gave her. She gave a relaxed sigh and closed her eyes.

They sat for several minutes in silence before Lorelai opened her eyes and asked, "Are you nervous about Friday night?"

"Nope," Luke replied.

"Not at all?" she asked, surprised. "Not even a little tiny bit?"

"No, but you obviously are," Luke said with a laugh. "Why is this such a big deal?"

"Because my mom's worse than Robert DeNiro in Meet the Parents, and I don't want you to be all nervous and feel like you have to impress them like Ben Stiller did because you saw how it caused all sorts of problems for him."

"I'm not – ," Luke started.

"But I guess it's a good thing that the chuppa's at my house 'cause it'll be pretty hard for you to burn it down all the way from Hartford," Lorelai said.

Luke let out a small laugh. "Lorelai, stop worrying about it. It'll be fine."

"What if she's rude or something and then she and I get into this great big fight about it?" Lorelai asked. "Then it'll be even more uncomfortable every time I go back there for dinner."

Luke paused for a moment, then said, "So don't go back."

"Ha!" Lorelai said, forcing a laugh. "I have to go for the rest of my life, Luke. You know that."

"No, you only have to go as long as they're paying for Chilton, right?" Luke asked.

"Right," Lorelai said. She rested her hands on top of his as they continued running over her stomach.

"So. . ." Luke said. "If dinner somehow turns into World War three and you really don't wanna go back there, then I'll pay for Chilton."

Lorelai laughed. "Right."

"I'm serious," Luke said.

Lorelai turned her head around to face him. She stared at him for a moment, reading his facial expression. "What?"

He nodded. "I have some money saved away. I can help you until you can afford it, or at least until you can find another way to pay for it."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "You're dead serious," she observed.

"Yeah. I mean, this arrangement is a little ridiculous to begin with, if you ask me," Luke said, his voice getting louder. "You shouldn't have to go eat dinner every Friday night with people you rarely get along with just because you're borrowing money from them. It's like blackmail or bribery or something. They can't force you to do something you don't want to do just because – "

Lorelai interrupted his rant by pressing her lips against his. Luke was surprised at first, but his lips immediately softened and kissed her back. Without breaking the connection of their mouths, Lorelai turned her body around on his lap so that she was facing him. She placed her hands on the back of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as he rested his hands on her waist.

She finally pulled back and smiled. "You do know that I would never in a million years let you pay for Chilton, don't you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I thought if the offer was out there you'd feel better about dinner."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Luke replied.

. . .

That Friday night, Lorelai stood in front of her closet for ten minutes and finally let out an exasperated sigh. She walked to the doorway and hollered, "Rory, come help me pick out something to wear!"

"Just a second!" Rory called from downstairs.

Lorelai walked back to her closet and made a face at it. A minute later, Rory walked up the steps and stopped at the doorway of Lorelai's room. "You should go with the closest thing resembling Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscar dress."

Lorelai laughed. "Oh man, did I feel sorry for her boobs."

Rory nodded in agreement. "It was definitely not their finest hour."

Lorelai gestured for Rory to come into the room. She walked over to her and Lorelai draped an arm over Rory's shoulder. "Okay, just take a good long look at the closet. What jumps out at you?"

Rory stared at the closet. "Hmm." Her eyes went back and forth over the jumbled assortment of clothes that were hanging down. She took a step toward the closet and pulled something out, then turned around and held it up. "This one."

Lorelai looked at the short black dress with small beaded flowers along the waistline. "Ooh, that was actually on my maybe list."

"Good, then maybe you should go put it on," Rory said, holding it out to her. "We're gonna be late."

Lorelai smirked and grabbed it from her. "Thank you." She walked toward the bathroom. "Get me a pair of shoes please," she said over her shoulder.

Rory picked out a pair of black heels and placed them on the bed, then wandered over to the vanity and sat down. Lorelai walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later wearing the dress. "What do you think Luke's gonna wear?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I told him he should get dressed up, so hopefully he realizes that the Paul Bunyan look, while sexy and appropriate for casual situations, isn't exactly the best evening wear."

. . .

An hour later, they pulled up to the Gilmore mansion and stepped out of Lorelai's Jeep. Rory walked up to the front porch as Lorelai and Luke lingered by the car.

Lorelai smiled as she ran her eyes up and down his black suit. "You look great," she said, straightening his tie.

"So do you," Luke said. He kissed her, then smiled and took her hand. "Come on." They walked up to the porch.

"Ready?" Rory asked. They both nodded, and Rory rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened and both Emily and Richard were standing there. "Good eve – " Emily started. Her eyes widened with surprise as she saw Luke. "Evening," she finished.

"Hi Grandma, hi Grandpa," Rory said.

"Uh, Mom, Dad, you remember Luke Danes, right?" Lorelai said, placing her hand on Luke's arm.

Emily stared at Luke. "Yes." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "Is this him?"

Lorelai looked at Luke and smiled. "Yeah, he cleans up nice, huh?"

Luke extended his hand toward Emily. She smiled and shook her head slightly. "Why, I didn't even recognize you," she said, shaking his hand.

"Good to see you again, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said. "Mr. Gilmore," he added, shaking Richard's hand.

"Yes, same here," Richard replied. "Please come in. Emily, you might want to stop blocking the doorway."

Emily stepped back. "Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Please come in."

They stepped inside, and Rory and Lorelai hung up their coats. Emily and Richard led the way to the living room, and the three guests followed. Luke and Lorelai sat down on one of the small couches, Rory sat next to them in an armchair, and Emily sat across from them on the other couch.

Richard stood at the bar. "Okay, who wants a drink?"

"Coke, please," Rory said.

"White wine," Emily said.

"Same," Lorelai said. She turned to Luke. "Drink?"

Luke turned back toward Richard. "Uh, club soda's fine, thanks."

Richard served the drinks, getting himself a glass of wine before sitting down next to Emily. "So, Luke, how's the business? I assume your establishment is doing well?"

Luke cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, it's doing very well. These two provide me with most of my income."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, he's the cutest waiter in town. That's why I insist we eat there everyday," she said, tapping Luke on his knee.

Luke's face reddened slightly as he rolled his eyes at her. "I personally think it's because you're physically addicted to the burgers."

She smiled. "Well, eating five a week will do that to a girl."

"Oh, Lorelai, you shouldn't be eating that much red meat," Richard said knowingly. "It's all right in moderation, but you don't want to overdo it."

"Richard's been reading some books about healthy eating so he thinks he's a nutritionist now," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, you should talk to Luke. He won't eat anything unhealthy," Lorelai said. She took a sip of wine. "Oh, except whipped cream - but only if it's served a certain way," she added, smiling at Luke. "Right?"

Luke narrowed his eyes at her, an embarrassed look on his face. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Rory, how's school going?" Luke asked.

"Ah, yes, how is school?" Richard asked.

"Oh, it's fine," Rory said. "I've got a few midterms next week . . ."

As Rory continued talking about school, Emily nonchalantly stared at the couple across from her. Luke leaned in close to Lorelai's ear and whispered something to her. Lorelai giggled softly and nodded, then whispered something back to him. He smiled at her, then took a sip of his club soda. Emily brought her gaze down and noticed that their fingers were entwined. She took a sip of her wine and glanced over at Rory.

". . . and my last one is Shakespeare, which should be pretty easy. I like that class," Rory finished.

"I'm sure you'll do fine on all of them," Emily said. "So, let's move to the dining room, shall we?"

"Yes, that's a good idea," Richard said. "Does anyone need a refill?" He walked over to the bar.

"I'm good," Rory said.

"I could use some more," Emily said, standing up.

"Here, I'll get that," Luke said. He stood up and took Emily's glass from her.

Emily raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Oh, thank you." She and Rory walked toward the dining room.

Luke turned to Lorelai. "Do you need more?"

She stood up. "Yes, please. I'll help you."

Richard refilled his own glass and followed Emily and Rory into the dining room. Lorelai and Luke walked over to the bar. "I don't know what you were talking about, this is going fine," Luke said quietly as he poured out the wine.

Lorelai shrugged. "She must be feeling ill or something, she's definitely not being herself tonight."

Luke rolled her eyes. "Or maybe you just exaggerate about how she really is." He refilled his own drink.

Lorelai shook her head and laughed. "Oh, no no no. I don't lie about my mother, I swear. I have Rory to back me up if you need proof."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Luke said. They picked up the glasses and walked to the dining room.

"Here you are, Mrs. Gilmore," Luke said, placing her wineglass in front of her.

"Thank you, Luke," Emily replied.

Lorelai and Luke sat next to each other on one side of the table across from Rory. "So, what are we eating tonight?" Lorelai asked, placing her napkin in her lap.

"Salmon," Emily said. "I hope you like salmon, Luke."

"Oh, he loves salmon. It's his favorite fish. He keeps several of them in a huge tank in his apartment and he likes to sit and watch them swim around all day long," Lorelai said. "It's his favorite hobby. Well, besides that underground drug ring."

The rest of the table rolled their eyes.

"Lorelai," Emily said.

"Just sit quietly," Luke said.

"Yes, exactly," Richard agreed.

Rory let out a small laugh as Lorelai frowned and took a sip of wine.

. . .

PART 16

. . .

They started off with salads, and then the maid brought out the main course. She served everyone a piece of salmon, then she placed several bowls containing side dishes around the table. "Thank you," Emily said. The maid nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

"Pass the roasted potatoes, please," Lorelai said.

"Can I have the green beans?" Rory asked.

"Could you pass the rolls?" Richard asked.

As they piled the side dishes onto their plates, Luke said, "These are nice dishes."

"Why, thank you," Emily said. "Richard picked those up in . . .hmm, where was it Richard? Rome?"

"Yes, I believe it was," Richard said. "It was for one of our anniversaries."

"Oh really?" Lorelai asked. "Huh. And what year is the plate anniversary, Dad?"

Richard rolled his eyes. "I believe I gave these to her along with a diamond broach, so I guess it was the plate and diamond anniversary."

Emily nodded and smiled. "Yes, and he insists that he picked it out himself, that his secretary didn't even help him."

"She didn't," Richard said, taking offense. "I have an eye for fine jewelry."

Emily rolled her eyes. "So, Lorelai, you said there's a festival tonight?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, it's to celebrate the founding of Stars Hollow. There's a big bonfire and tons of decorations and food and stuff. It's fun."

Luke groaned. "Fun's not the word I'd use to describe it."

Lorelai nudged him with her elbow. "Oh, you know you're gonna love it."

"What's the matter?" Emily asked. "Luke, you don't enjoy big celebrations?"

Luke shrugged. "These festivals get pretty crowded and noisy. I'm not really into those kind of things."

"Yes, I'd much rather sit in a quiet room in front of a fireplace than be at some noisy function with a bunch of people I don't know," Richard said.

"Thank you," Luke said, turning to Lorelai. "See, your father is the same way."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Fine, you stay here with my dad and stare at the fireplace while I go to the festival."

Emily smiled and turned to Rory. "And what about you? You're going too, I assume?"

Rory nodded. "Dean and I are going together."

"Ah, yes, Dean. How's that car holding up?" Richard asked.

"Oh, it's great," Rory said, smiling. She started talking to Richard about it.

Lorelai tapped Luke on the shoulder. "Luke, Rory's boyfriend made her a car."

"I know," Luke replied.

"So, when are you gonna make me one?" Lorelai asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Your car is fine. I'm the one who needs a new one."

"What's wrong with your car?" Emily asked.

"It's sort of rundown," Luke explained.

"Sort of?" Lorelai laughed. "I've seen trucks come out of multiple car wrecks looking better than yours."

"Okay, okay, don't mock it," Luke said.

"It's this really old green truck from like 1950," Lorelai explained to Emily.

"Oh, right," Emily said, looking down at her plate. "I remember Barbara describing it," she said. She pushed her potatoes around her plate aimlessly.

Lorelai swallowed hard. "Oh geez," she said under her breath.

"Barbara?" Luke asked, confused.

Lorelai leaned over to Luke and whispered, "She's the neighbor who saw your truck out front when we were here."

Luke's eyes widened. "Ah," he said quietly. Lorelai sat up straight and shoved a piece of her roll into her mouth.

. . .

After they finished their meals and the maid had cleared their plates from the table, Emily asked, "Anyone have room for dessert?"

"Ooh, I do," Rory said excitedly.

"You know what, we should probably save some room for the food at the festival," Lorelai said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Rory said.

"Oh. Well, do you have time for some coffee?" Emily asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "No, I think we really should – "

"Oh, I think we have time," Luke interrupted. "We should stay for coffee."

"But you don't even like coffee," Lorelai pointed out.

"Well, good. He can join me for some brandy in my study," Richard said, standing up.

"What a lovely idea," Emily said. "I'll ask the maid to bring out a coffee tray." She stood up and walked into the kitchen.

Lorelai turned to Luke and forced a smile. "Okay, I guess we're staying a little longer then."

"Don't worry, we'll make it in time for the stupid festival," he said, rolling his eyes.

She patted his hand. "Fifteen minutes. Drink fast." He kissed her quickly on the cheek and followed Richard out of the room. Lorelai smiled as she watched him walk away, then she leaned toward Rory. "Hey, can you give me a minute alone with Grandma?" she asked quietly.

Rory nodded just as Emily entered the room. Lorelai sat up straight and said, "Coffee's on it's way, Mom?"

"Yes, it'll be right out," Emily said, sitting back down.

Rory cleared her throat. "Uh, excuse me, I'll be right back. I just need to . . . uh, use the bathroom." Lorelai gave her a grateful smile as Rory stood up and walked toward the doorway.

Lorelai turned to Emily. "Uh, Mom . . . I sort of wanted to. . .thank you."

"Thank me?" Emily asked with surprise. "Thank me for what?"

"For not turning this night into a disaster," Lorelai said. "Thank you for being so nice to Luke."

Emily shook her head slightly. "I am capable of showing manners, Lorelai. You don't have to act so shocked every time it happens."

"No, Mom, I just – " Lorelai started. The maid interrupted their conversation by entering with the tray of coffee. She placed it on the table between them. "Thank you," Lorelai said. The maid nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

Lorelai turned back to Emily. "I don't mean just being polite to him," she continued. "I mean, I know you're still upset with me for being here at your house while you were away, and I . . ." She paused. "You could've really held that against us and made this night pretty damn miserable." Lorelai smiled. "But you didn't – so thank you."

Emily shrugged. "You're welcome." She poured out two cups of coffee. After several sips in silence, Emily said, "You know, you probably don't want to hear me say this. . . but I like him, Lorelai. I was expecting a scruffy beard and a hat," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

"Tsk, you can't say that you like him just because he dressed up, Mom," Lorelai said. "You shouldn't judge people on how they look."

Emily scoffed. "That's not why I said I like him, Lorelai," she said, getting defensive. "I can't say that he doesn't look much nicer all dressed up, but that's not the only reason I like him."

"Oh no?" Lorelai asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, it's not," Emily said. She paused and took a sip of coffee. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. "He obviously likes you a great deal," she said softly.

Lorelai looked down. She picked up her spoon and stirred her coffee casually. She nodded and said, "He does."

"Mmhmm," Emily said. "And you obviously feel the same way."

Lorelai brought her gaze up to meet Emily's. She smiled. "I do."

"So why shouldn't I like him?" Emily asked with a shrug.

Lorelai let out a small laugh. "Uh, because he doesn't wear business suits everyday, or, um, because he didn't go to private schools, or because he's not worth a billion dollars. I'm sure any one of these would be a basis for you hating him."

Emily gasped, and Lorelai could tell that she was about to deny the accusation. Then Emily paused a moment and let out a small sigh. "When you told me you were dating him, those things did go through my head," Emily admitted. "I wasn't expecting to like this arrangement at all."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I knew it."

Emily looked down at her coffee cup. "But then. . .I saw how you two were looking at each other."

Lorelai tilted her head and smiled. "Wow, Mom, look at you letting your standards drop."

"Hey, you just about ready to go?" a voice asked.

Lorelai looked up and saw Luke and Richard standing in the doorway. She smiled and nodded. "Yup." She stood up and shouted, "Rory, we're leaving!"

Emily winced. "Lorelai, yelling is certainly not necessary."

Lorelai smirked. "Huh, never thought I'd hear you say that, Mom. It seems to be one of your favorite ways to communicate." They walked to the front door, where Luke helped Lorelai into her jacket as Rory walked out of the living room. Rory took her jacket from the coat rack and folded it over her arm.

Luke turned to Richard and shook his hand. "Good to see you again."

"Same here," Richard said. He wagged a finger at him. "Think about what I said."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at them as Luke smiled and said, "I will." He turned to Emily and extended his hand. "Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Gilmore."

"Oh, please, call me Emily." She smiled as she shook his hand. "And you're welcome."

Lorelai pulled open the front door. "Bye."

"Bye Grandma, bye Grandpa," Rory said.

They stepped out onto the porch, and as the door closed behind them, Luke turned to Lorelai and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Wow, I was so not prepared for that."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about? Prepared for what? It went perfectly."

"I know, that's what I wasn't prepared for. I'm still in shock," she said. He smiled and kissed her.

. . .

They pulled up to Lorelai's house almost forty-five minutes later. They climbed out of the car and Rory said, "I'm gonna go in and change my shoes first. These are bothering me. You guys go ahead, I have to stop at Dean's anyway."

"Okay, maybe we'll see you there," Lorelai said. She laced her fingers through Luke's and they slowly walked toward the town square. "Are you gonna change first?"

"Yeah, I don't particularly want everyone seeing me all dressed up," he said, loosening his tie.

"Aw, why not?" Lorelai asked. "You look like a Ken doll."

He groaned. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Absolutely. Ken's hot," Lorelai said.

Luke shrugged. "Okay, then thanks."

"You're welcome," she said. They walked a little more before Lorelai said, "Hey, what did you and my dad talk about?"

"Oh, just business stuff. You know, portfolio investments, mutual funds, stuff like that," Luke said. "He gave me some tips."

Lorelai laughed. "Portfolio investments? Mutual funds?" she asked, her eyes widening with surprise. "What the heck? You have a portfolio?"

"What, I don't look like a portfolio kind of guy?" Luke asked with a smile.

She shook her head. "Definitely not. The complete opposite, actually."

Luke tapped his forehead. "Trust me, there's a lot going on in here that would surprise you."

Lorelai smiled and raised her eyebrows. "Hm, very interesting." A few seconds later, they had reached the town square, which was filled with people. The bonfire was already lit and tables of refreshments surrounded the gazebo.

As they walked toward the diner, Lorelai glanced around the crowd and spotted Sookie and Jackson walking toward them. As they neared, Sookie raised her eyebrows at Luke. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed.

"Oh boy." Luke groaned.

Sookie giggled and patted Luke on the shoulder. "Luke, look at you all dolled up!"

"Got a big business meeting later tonight?" Jackson asked with a laugh.

"Very funny," Luke muttered. He turned to Lorelai. "I'm changing now."

Lorelai nodded. "I'll be over there by the food," she said, gesturing to the tables.

He nodded and walked into the diner. Lorelai smiled at Sookie and Jackson. "So, how are you guys? You been here all night?"

"No, we got here like twenty minutes ago," Sookie said. "We had a late dinner because of someone." She rolled her eyes and nodded toward Jackson.

"Yeah, someone," Jackson said, nodding toward Sookie.

Lorelai laughed. "What happened?"

Sookie sighed. "Ah, it's a long story that involves someone dropping the pan of chicken on the floor, and then someone going all the way to the store to buy more but forgetting to bring money."

"So, I'm guessing you dropped the chicken," Lorelai said, pointing to Sookie. "And you forgot the money," she said, pointing to Jackson.

Jackson nodded, then glanced past Lorelai and groaned. "Rune's causing trouble over there. I'll be right back." He walked away quickly, shouting, "Rune, leave that alone!"

Sookie giggled. "I love it when he yells at Rune."

Lorelai smiled. "Come with me to get food."

They walked toward the refreshment tables. "So, how was dinner?" Sookie asked.

"Oh my God," Lorelai said excitedly. "It was great."

Sookie's eyes widened. "Great? It was great?"

"Great." Lorelai nodded. She picked up a cookie from the assortment in front of her and took a bite. She shook her head slightly. "Sookie, it was actually nice. I mean, my mom was. . .nice."

"So. . .it was nice?" Sookie asked, smiling.

Lorelai nodded. "Everything was good. Luke and my mom got along fine, and he and my dad were talking about business or something. I think they were impressed with him."

"Really? Impressed?" Sookie asked, surprised. "Your parents aren't easily impressed."

"No, they're not," Lorelai said, shaking her head. She smiled. "But they like him."

"Aw, that's great," Sookie said. She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "I'm so happy that it worked out so well."

Lorelai smiled, then glanced at the rest of the refreshments. "Hmm, what do I feel like?"

"There's pie over there," Sookie said, pointing to a table a few feet away.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Ooh, let's go." They walked over to the table and Lorelai served herself a piece of pie. "You want some?"

Sookie shook her head. "No thanks. I'm still full from dinner." They wandered over to an empty bench and sat down.

A few seconds later, Luke walked over to them with a takeout cup of coffee. He held it out to Lorelai. "Here – if you're gonna drink something unhealthy tonight, I'd rather it be this than the punch."

Lorelai smiled and took the cup. "Thank you." She took a sip and held the cup out toward him. "Can you hold it while I finish eating?"

He rolled his eyes and took the cup. "I'm not a coaster, you know." Lorelai smiled up at him and shoved a forkful of pie in her mouth.

Sookie stood up. "Here Luke, sit down. I can stand."

Luke shook his head. "No, thanks, I'm fine. You sit," he insisted, pointing to the bench. Sookie shrugged and sat back down.

Luke shoved his empty hand into his pocket as he held her coffee in the other. Lorelai glanced up at him, then she stood up. "Here, sit down. You're annoying me just standing there like that."

"Fine, I'll take your coffee and wait over there by the market," he said, pointing.

"Luke, sit," she said sternly.

"Let me clarify – I'm not a coaster or a dog," Luke said. She gave him a look, and he sighed and sat down. She sat on his lap.

Sookie giggled. "That looks comfy."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. The three of them talked as Lorelai finished her pie. She took her coffee from Luke and took a sip, then stood up and threw her plate in a nearby trash can.

As she returned to the bench, Sookie stood up. "I better go make sure Jackson hasn't killed Rune."

Lorelai laughed. "Good idea. Don't let him go to prison until after the nuptials. See you later."

Sookie walked away and Lorelai sat down next to Luke. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him. They stared at the bonfire and at the people walking by. After several minutes, Lorelai leaned her head against his shoulder. "My parents like you."

"And why wouldn't they?" Luke asked. "I'm pretty darn charming."

Lorelai laughed. "And humble – my two favorite qualities." They were silent for another minute before Lorelai said, "You were here with Rachel last year."

"Yes I was," Luke said.

Lorelai paused a moment. "Were you in love with her?"

Luke raised his eyebrows, surprised. "What?"

"Were you in love with her?" Lorelai repeated. "I mean, when she was here last year?"

"Why are you asking me this?" he asked.

Lorelai sat up straight and shrugged. "Just making conversation," she replied. "Uh, we can talk about something else. Oh, I bought that macaroni and cheese that you can make in the microwave. Let me tell you, it's nowhere near as good as the regular stuff, but the regular stuff is just too complicated. I mean, with having to add the milk and the butter and then all the mixing and everything . . . ugh, you have to be a professional chef or something to make that stuff come out right. Thoughts?" She tilted her head and bit her bottom lip.

Luke stared at her for a moment, then he said, "No, I wasn't in love with her last year."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Not at all?"

"Nope."

"But you probably still love her as a friend, right?" Lorelai asked.

Luke sighed loudly. "What is this, twenty questions?"

"No, just ten," Lorelai said, smiling. "Come on, it's a fun game."

He groaned. "Yeah, real fun. How about we put you on the spot now, shall we? Do you still love Max?"

Lorelai's smile disappeared. "Okay, we can stop playing now." She turned her head away and stared at the bonfire. "The fire's pretty."

Luke looked at her curiously. "Why won't you answer? Does that mean yes?"

Lorelai shook her head. "No, not at all."

"So what does it mean?" Luke asked. "It obviously means something."

"It means that I hate this game and I don't wanna play anymore," she said quickly. "Let's play charades or freeze tag or anything else that makes me not have to answer any difficult questions."

"Lorelai, it's a yes or no question. I wouldn't call it difficult," Luke said.

Lorelai hesitated for a moment. She finally exhaled loudly and said, "I was never. . . in love with Max."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about? But you were gonna marry him."

She looked down and examined her fingernails. "I know." They both stared straight ahead in silence for several seconds. Lorelai slowly turned her head to look at him. "What? What are you thinking?"

"Nothing," he said with a shrug. "Just looking at the fire. You know, bonfires are a real safety hazard."

Lorelai sighed. "You're thinking why would I get engaged to someone I didn't love."

He looked at her and shrugged. "Possibly crossed my mind."

Lorelai shook her head toward the ground. "I don't know why. He loved me. I just. . .I really liked that feeling."

"So that's why you got engaged to him?" Luke asked skeptically. "You never stopped to think that for the marriage to work, it might actually be necessary for you to love him back?"

"Don't do that," Lorelai said, shaking her head.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Be condescending," Lorelai said, turning her head away. "I know I was stupid, don't rub it in."

"I'm not being condescending. I'm just trying to figure out what happened," Luke said. "So. . . what happened?"

She sighed. "I don't even know what happened. I finally realized that I wasn't in love with him. I was just in love with the idea of getting married, of having someone love me, of sharing my life with someone – but not him." She shrugged.

Luke nodded. "So essentially all the jealousy I felt toward him was really unnecessary?"

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah."

"Although he did get to kiss you before I did, so there's always gonna be a little residual jealousy," Luke said.

Lorelai smiled. "But you get to kiss me now, and I'm a much better kisser now than when I was with him."

Luke laughed. "Oh yeah?"

Lorelai nodded. "You know, it improves with age." She leaned forward and kissed him, then rested her head against his shoulder.

. . .

On Wednesday night, Lorelai walked through the front door slightly after 9:30. She walked into the living room, where Rory was sprawled on the couch watching television. "Hey," Lorelai said. "Comfy?"

Rory looked up, slightly surprised to see her. "Mom, hi. I didn't even hear you come in the door." She stood up.

"I've been practicing my burglar skills," Lorelai said. "Now I know I'm skilled enough to rob my own house."

Rory picked up the remote and turned off the television. "How was dinner?"

"Good. I had fettucine alfredo," she said, holding up a takeout container. "There's some left if you want it."

"Maybe tomorrow," Rory replied. Lorelai turned around and walked into the kitchen. Rory followed her. "Uh, Mom, I have to talk to you about something."

Lorelai put the container in the fridge, then turned around. "Sure, what?"

"Uh, well, Dad called tonight," Rory started.

"Oh yeah, how's he doing?" Lorelai asked.

"Good, he's good," Rory said quickly. "Uh, and I mentioned to him that I had off from school next Friday, and he sort of. . . invited me to come up to visit for the weekend."

Lorelai's eyes widened slightly. "The whole weekend? Three whole days?"

Rory nodded. "He said I could stay in the guest room, and that he and Sherry would show me around Boston. And he said that maybe we could go on a tour of Harvard, with a real tour guide and everything."

"Ah, so he pulled out the big gun," Lorelai said with a smile. "So, I guess you wanna go?"

Rory shrugged. "He told me to check with you first. I mean, I know three days is a long time so if you don't want – "

Lorelai held up her hand. "Rory, it's fine. Go, it's no problem."

Rory smiled. "Really? You're sure?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. You'll get to see his new place and everything, it'll be good for you guys to spend time together. Go. I'll even call him and tell him I'm okay with it."

"You will?" Rory asked. She gave Lorelai a hug and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks Mom."

"You're welcome," Lorelai said. As Rory walked back to the living room, Lorelai picked up the cordless phone from the counter and sat down at the table. She dialed Christopher's number.

After several rings, he answered. "Hello?"

"Chris, hey," Lorelai said.

"Lorelai?" he replied.

"Yeah, it's me," Lorelai said. "Uh, Rory just talked to me about this little trip that you've apparently got all planned out without so much as a mention to me about it."

"Yeah, Lor, I'm sorry about that," Christopher said. "I just casually mentioned that it would be nice if she could visit. I really didn't mean to go behind your back like that."

"Huh." Lorelai paused a moment, trying to determine if he sounded sincere. "Well, she really wants to go so I told her it was fine with me."

"Really?" Christopher said, surprised. "Aw, Lor, that's great. Thanks. Really, this means a lot, thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied.

"Uh, let's see. Um, I think I'll pick her up on Thursday night," Christopher said. "That way we'll have all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then I'll drive her back down late Sunday afternoon."

"Wow, that makes it seem like a really long time," Lorelai said, frowning.

"It's only a few days," Christopher said. "She'll be back before you know it."

Lorelai sighed. "I know. So, uh, call us next week to let us know when you'll be here and everything."

"Okay, I will," Christopher replied. "And thanks, Lor."

"You're welcome," she replied. "Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and dropped it on the table. After exhaling loudly, she stood up and wandered into the living room. Rory looked up at her. "I called your dad and told him you're going. He's gonna pick you up on Thursday night."

Rory smiled. "Really? Cool. Thanks Mom." Lorelai nodded and shifted her feet uncomfortably. Rory's smile faded as she stared at Lorelai. "You look sad. Mom, I don't have to go."

Lorelai shook her head. "No, I want you to go. I'm gonna miss you, but I really think you should go."

Rory hesitated a moment, then said, "Okay." She smiled. "If you miss me too much you can go over to Grandma's house and stare at the near-lifelike portrait and talk to it like it's really me."

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, that might – " She paused and grimaced. "Uh oh."

"What uh oh?" Rory's eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"You're gonna miss Friday night dinner," Lorelai said. "She's gonna freak out, especially since you'll be with Sherry."

Rory grimaced. "That definitely is an 'uh oh'. Shoot. Can you talk to her?"

Lorelai shrugged. "I'll try. I'll call her tomorrow."

Rory nodded. "Thanks."

Lorelai thought for a moment, then said, "I think I'm gonna go call Luke and then go right to bed. Night."

"Night Mom," Rory replied.

. . .

The next morning, Lorelai walked into Luke's and sat down at the counter with a loud sigh. Jess walked over to her. "You look happy," he commented.

"Well, then I think you've got your interpretation of emotions a little confused," Lorelai replied.

Jess shrugged. "My observation skills aren't as sharp as they used to be. Coffee?"

Lorelai nodded. "Where's - "

"He's upstairs," he interrupted. He turned around and poured a cup of coffee, then placed it in front of her. He watched her take a sip. "Does it suck?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me?"

"The coffee," he said, pointing to the cup. "Does it suck?"

"Oh, no, it's good," Lorelai replied. "Why?"

"'Cause I had to make this pot myself and the last time I made it. . . .well, there were some complaints," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai smiled. "Well, you did good this time."

"Good." Jess nodded and walked away.

Lorelai sipped her coffee for a few more minutes before Luke walked down the stairs and into the diner. He walked over to her, and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You feeling better about Rory's trip?"

"Still a little sad," Lorelai admitted. "You probably think I'm being crazy."

He shook his head. "No, I understand. You don't like to be away from her. You'll be home all alone watching television while she's out having a good time in some other state with other people who aren't you."

Lorelai frowned. "Are you trying to make me feel better? It's not working."

Luke smiled. "So that's why I was thinking that we. . . should go away that same weekend."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "What? You want. . .us to go away together?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about it last night. I can get Caesar to cover the diner. We'll get away from here, we'll go to a nice hotel, stay the whole weekend. You won't even realize that Rory's up in Boston," Luke said.

"Huh." Lorelai thought for a minute. "But you hate hotels," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "I'll live."

"But what about Jess?" Lorelai asked.

"I mentioned it to him this morning, he said he'd be no trouble," Luke said.

Lorelai tilted her head and gave him a look.

Luke smirked. "I threatened him and told him that if there were any complaints while we were gone, he'd be doing double shifts at the diner for no pay."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Good plan." She took a sip of coffee. "Mm, he did make good coffee today though. Gotta appreciate a kid who can make good coffee."

Luke looked at the cup warily. "Let me know if you get sharp shooting stomach pains later today."

Lorelai's eyes widened and she put the cup down. "Finished."

"So what do you say?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled and shrugged. "Sure, why not? Let's go away together. Where should we go?"

"I have a few ideas. I'll take care of everything." Luke smiled. "Feel a little better now?"

She smiled. "Definitely. Good enough to eat breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon, please."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Geez. Okay, we're going somewhere where they only serve healthy food."

Lorelai shook her head. "Well, that wouldn't really be in your best interest, Luke."

"Oh no? Why not?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well, because I wouldn't eat anything all weekend, and then I wouldn't have enough energy to do any other sort of . . . physical activity." She raised her eyebrows suggestively and smiled.

Luke's eyes widened slightly. "Huh, good point."

. . .

PART 17

. . .

Later that morning, Lorelai stood at the front desk of the Independence Inn staring at the phone. As she tapped her fingers nervously on the desk, Michel shot her a dirty look. "That is very annoying," he said dryly.

She stopped tapping and looked at him. "Michel, I don't know what to do. I was already nervous about having to get Rory out of dinner, but now I have to get myself out of dinner, too."

"A terrible quandary. I wish I could help you, but I don't really want to," Michel said, walking away.

"But I – ," Lorelai frowned at him. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. She dialed slowly, part of her hoping that there'd be an emergency with one of the guests that would force her to hang up and call back later. She hesitated before she punched the last button. She finally wrinkled her nose and pushed it, then she sighed as she heard ringing. After several rings, Lorelai was about to hang up when she heard someone answer.

"Hello?" Richard said.

Lorelai was surprised. "Uh, Dad?"

"Lorelai?" Richard asked.

"Yeah, it's me," Lorelai replied. "Uh, I don't think I've ever heard you answer the phone before."

"Well, your mother's out running some errands and the maid went shopping," Richard explained. "And a few weeks ago, I discovered that the fastest way to get the vexatious ringing to stop is to pick up the phone."

Lorelai laughed. "Well, good going, Dad."

"Yes, well, I try to experience new things as often as possible," he said. "Did you want to talk to your mother?"

"Uh, not really," Lorelai muttered.

"Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that," Richard said.

"Oh, it was nothing Dad," Lorelai said. "Um, I wanted to talk to Mom about dinner next week. . ." Lorelai paused a moment and smiled. "But maybe you can do your favorite daughter a huge favor and talk to her for me."

"What about dinner? Do you have some sort of specific request?" Richard asked. "Our chef can make anything you want. She's very talented."

"Uh, no, not exactly," Lorelai said. "See, the thing is that Rory's gonna go visit Christopher in Boston next weekend, and Luke and I are going away, too. So, uh, neither of us can come to dinner next week." Lorelai bit her bottom lip nervously. Richard didn't say anything. "Dad?"

"Yes?" Richard asked.

"Did you get all that?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes, I'm just trying to think of a scenario in my head in which your mother won't have a stroke when I tell her this," Richard said.

Lorelai sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad. You don't have to talk to her, she'll just get mad at you. I can call her back later and – "

"No, no," Richard interrupted. "I'll do it. Uh, perhaps I won't mention it until after tomorrow night's dinner though."

"Ooh, good plan, Dad," Lorelai said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow night then?"

"Sure will," Lorelai said. "Bye Dad."

"Goodbye Lorelai."

Lorelai hung up the phone and smiled to herself, then wandered into the kitchen. "Sookie, Sookie, Sookie," she said in a singsong voice. She walked over to her and patted her on the shoulder.

"You sound a little too happy," Sookie said, smiling.

"That's because I just convinced my dad to talk to my mom about us missing dinner next week," Lorelai said. "So now I don't have to do it."

Sookie's eyes widened. "Ooh, nice."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. She clapped her hands together a few times. "Ah, I'm so excited!"

Sookie giggled. "I can tell. Did he tell you where you're going yet?"

Lorelai shook her head. "Nope. And part of me wants to know right now, but the other part of me doesn't really care where it is. I mean, we could spend the weekend at a hotel in Hartford and it'd be fine with me. I just need to get away anywhere."

Sookie nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "You don't think it's too soon for us to go away together, right? I mean, we'll be together for like. . .I don't know, seventy hours straight. Are we ready for that?"

Sookie smiled. "I think you're totally ready for it."

Lorelai shrugged. "But these weekend getaways can really break a relationship."

"No, they can really break an unstable relationship," Sookie corrected her. "You guys are far from unstable."

Lorelai smiled. "You think so?"

Sookie nodded. "It'll be fine." She smiled. "Ooh, you should go shopping and buy some new lingerie or something."

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "Oh, good idea! You wanna go out this weekend?"

"Absolutely." Sookie giggled. "Although, it's kind of a waste of money since you probably won't be wearing it very long."

Lorelai smirked. "Bye Sookie."

. . .

On Saturday afternoon, Lorelai and Sookie walked into the diner carrying several bags from their shopping excursion. They sat down at a table, and it was only a few minutes before Luke walked over. He leaned down and kissed Lorelai, then eyed the shopping bags suspiciously. "What did you buy?"

"It's all stuff for you," Sookie said, smiling.

He groaned. "Me? What is it? Please tell me you didn't buy me new clothes," he said, trying to look in the bags.

Lorelai smiled and gently pushed him away. "No, they're not new clothes for you, but you can't see what they are. It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises," Luke reminded her.

"Ah, I think you'll like this one," Lorelai said, raising her eyebrows. "Maybe you didn't see the name on the side of the bag." She picked up the Victoria's Secret bag and held it up.

Luke smiled. "Okay, this might be one of those rare surprises that I actually like."

Lorelai smiled as she put the bag down. "So, tell me where we're going."

"Yeah, where are you going?" Sookie asked excitedly.

Luke smirked. "You sure you don't wanna be surprised?" He turned around and walked toward the counter.

Lorelai jumped up and followed him. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "No, I hate surprises too. Tell me, please."

He shrugged. "Fine, I'll tell you. I made reservations at the Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa in Groton."

Lorelai's eyes widened with surprise. "Hotel and spa? No, you didn't!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Luke smiled. "Yup, I did. From Thursday night to Sunday morning."

Lorelai gasped. "Luke, oh my God!"

He smiled at her excitement. "Yeah, they have a ton of stuff right at the hotel. A restaurant, indoor pool, gym, massage rooms, sauna, things like that. And I booked the room with a king-sized bed and an oversized whirlpool tub right in the room. Plus, there's a coffee shop right in the hotel," he added, rolling his eyes. "And that's pretty much all you need."

Lorelai's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God. That sounds amazing! Wow. . . that's gonna be so . . . wow." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. She pulled back and said, "But – I mean, all that spa stuff. . .I know you don't like stuff like that."

He shrugged and took one of her hands into his. "Well, if you wanna get a massage or something, I'll just hang out in the room or go to the gym for a little while. It's no big deal."

"Wow, you sure do know how to spoil a girl," she said, smiling. She ran a hand over his cheek. "It sounds incredible. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. He kissed her softly, then wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, hugging him back tightly. She glanced over at Sookie, who was smiling at them. Lorelai pulled back and said, "Uh, we'll have a couple of burgers," she said, gesturing to the table.

Luke nodded. "Okay, they'll be right out." Lorelai walked back over to the table and sat down.

"Okay, spill it," Sookie said, drumming her hands on the table. "Did you find out where you're going?"

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "Listen to this – The Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa. Doesn't that sound fabulous? I think he said it's in Groton. We're going from Thursday to Sunday."

Sookie gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God!"

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her. "What? What's wrong?"

Sookie smiled and lowered her voice. "Lorelai, you better be pretty darn nice to him. Jackson and I came across a brochure for that place a few weeks ago, and lemme tell you, it's not cheap."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Really? How much is it?"

Sookie shrugged. "Well, I think some of the rooms are over two hundred bucks a night."

Lorelai gasped. "You're kidding me!" she whispered loudly.

Sookie shook her head. "Nope, it's a really nice place."

Lorelai stared into space for a moment, then leaned forward and said, "So he might be spending over six hundred dollars just on the room alone?"

Sookie shrugged. "I don't know, maybe he got a deal or had a coupon or something."

Lorelai sat back in her chair. "Wow. And, I mean, that's probably not including all of our meals and stuff, right? Oh God, this is gonna cost him a fortune, Sookie. That's just. . .plus, he's probably not even gonna use the spa part, just me. I can't believe he did that," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

Sookie smiled at her. "He loves you. He wants you to have a good time."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I know. Let me tell you, we're gonna get our money's worth out of that king-sized bed."

. . .

On Thursday afternoon, Rory carried her suitcase out of her bedroom and set it by the front door next to her duffel bag. Lorelai took a bottle of water from the fridge and walked into the front hallway. "Here, take this for the ride."

"Oh, good idea, thanks," Rory said. She set it next to her stuff and checked her watch. "Dean should be here any minute to say goodbye." Rory walked into the living room and picked up her wallet from the desk. Lorelai walked over and gave her a hug.

Rory smiled. "Mom, that's the fifth hug you've given me in the past twenty minutes."

Lorelai hugged her tighter. "I know, I can't help it, I'm gonna miss you."

Rory pulled back from her. "Mom, you're gonna be having such a great time with Luke that you're not even gonna notice I'm not there."

Lorelai scoffed. "Not true."

Rory smiled. "It's totally true, you'll see. This weekend's gonna fly by."

Lorelai shrugged. "Don't forget to call me everyday. I'll leave the cell on. And call from a room where they can't listen to you because I wanna know all the dirt."

Rory smiled. "Got it."

Lorelai reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a handful of bills. "Here, I know your dad's probably gonna offer to pay for everything anyway, but here's a little spending money."

Rory smiled and took the money. "Thanks. I'll try not to spend it all." She glanced out the window. "Luke's back."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "He is? That was fast." She looked out the window and saw him walking up the front porch. She walked to the front door and pulled it open before he had a chance to knock.

Luke was startled. "God, you almost gave me a heart attack," he grumbled.

"Sorry," Lorelai said quickly. "I'm just excited." She looked at his outfit and nodded approvingly. He had altered his regular look slightly, keeping the T-shirt and jeans, losing the baseball cap and plaid shirt, and adding a leather jacket. "You look good. You picked up your bags, right?"

"Yeah, they're in the car, and I also stopped at the gas station. You were on empty," he said. He stepped into the house. "Where're your bags? I'll load them in the car now."

"They're upstairs," she said. "I'll help you bring 'em down."

"No, I'll get them," Luke said, walking past her and up the stairs. A few seconds later, Lorelai heard, "Oh my God!" Luke's voice bellowed through the house. "Lorelai! We're going for three days, not three years!"

Lorelai walked into the living room and grimaced at Rory. "I told you you were packing too much," Rory said, shaking her head.

Lorelai shrugged. "I have to be prepared for all situations."

"Lorelai!" Luke called from upstairs. "Come up here please!"

Lorelai sighed as she climbed up the stairs. She found Luke at the top of the steps with his arms folded across his chest. Lorelai stopped a few feet away from him. "Yes, dear?" she said mockingly.

Luke pointed into the bedroom. "Go in there and condense those three suitcases into two. We are not bringing that much junk with us."

Lorelai scoffed. "It's not junk, Luke. I need all that stuff."

"Two suitcases," he repeated sternly.

She frowned. "I have to be prepared for – "

"Two suitcases," he interrupted.

She pouted and sauntered over to him. She uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on her waist. She kissed his cheeks several times before pressing her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her tongue separated his lips and found its way into his mouth. A short moan escaped his throat as their tongues glided over each other and the kiss deepened with passion.

As they broke apart, both of them were heaving to catch their breaths. "Two. . . suitcases," Luke said in between his deep breaths.

"How about two and a duffel bag?" Lorelai said through her own panting.

"Deal," he replied. He pressed his lips against hers again, then pulled back and said, "Hurry. Call me when you're done."

Lorelai smiled and walked into her bedroom as Luke walked downstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Lorelai walked downstairs with a duffel bag and a garment bag. Luke and Rory were both sitting on the couch. "Okay, two suitcases are up there waiting for you, meanie," Lorelai said.

Luke stood up. "Thank you."

He walked upstairs as Lorelai sat down next to Rory. "So, what'd I miss?"

"Uh, not much. Dean stopped by to say goodbye, then he had to go to work," Rory said.

Lorelai nodded. They heard a noise on the stairs, and they both looked over and saw Luke carrying the two overstuffed suitcases down the steps. "Lorelai, if these burst open in the middle of the hotel lobby, I hope you know that I'm not gonna help you pick everything up."

"Don't worry, a fancy place like that probably has special employees who just stand there and wait for suitcases to pop open so they can help people," Lorelai said. She jumped up off the couch and rushed to the front door to pull it open for him. Luke walked out and she followed him onto the porch just as Christopher pulled into the driveway. He honked the horn and waved to her.

"Rory, your dad's here!" Lorelai called. Noticing Sherry in the passenger seat, she mumbled, "And the psycho fembot he calls his girlfriend."

Rory rushed out of the house and ran over to the car. Rory hugged Christopher tightly as Lorelai walked over to them. Lorelai gave Christopher a casual hug, then greeted Sherry as Luke walked over to them.

"Uh, Luke, you remember Christopher?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, how's it going?" Luke said, extending his hand.

"Good, it's going good, thanks," Christopher said, shaking his hand. "Uh, this is Sherry."

Sherry extended her hand. "It's so nice to meet you."

Luke shook her hand. "Yeah, same here."

"Okay, let me just get my stuff," Rory said, walking toward the house.

"Oh, here, I'll get it," Luke said, following her.

"No, that's okay, I'll get it," Christopher said, following him.

Lorelai folded her arms in front of her uncomfortably as she looked at Sherry. "So, uh, do you wanna come in for a drink before you guys leave?"

"Oh, no, that's okay. We were gonna stop somewhere for dinner on the way home," Sherry said. "Maybe I could use your restroom, though?"

"Oh, sure, come on in," Lorelai said. She turned around and walked toward the house as Luke and Christopher both walked out carrying some of Rory's luggage. Lorelai showed Sherry to the bathroom, then walked back out front. Luke and Christopher stood talking at the edge of the yard. Sherry walked out, thanking Lorelai as she walked past her and over to the car.

A few seconds later, Rory walked out of the house carrying her jacket, her duffel bag, and a bottle of water. She and Lorelai walked halfway down the yard. Rory set her things down on the lawn and gave Lorelai a hug. "Bye Mom. Have fun."

Lorelai hugged her back tightly. "You too. Don't forget to call me." She gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too," Rory said. Luke walked over to them as they broke apart from their hug.

"Bye Rory, have a good time," Luke said, smiling.

"Thanks. Good luck putting up with Mom for three days," Rory said with a laugh. She gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Bye Luke." She picked up her stuff and walked toward the car.

Luke, surprised by her affection, reached up and unconsciously touched his cheek. "She just. . ."

Lorelai smiled at him and said quietly, "Luke, don't be so shocked. You're like a father-figure to her. She loves you."

Luke's eyes widened slightly and he smiled. "Huh."

Lorelai walked over to the car as Christopher and Sherry got in. Rory put her stuff in the backseat, then turned around and hugged Lorelai one more time. "Bye Mom."

"Bye hon," Lorelai said. Rory climbed into the car. Lorelai stepped up to the driver's window and leaned down. "Now, she's a little rambunctious sometimes, so make sure she takes her Ritalin or she's just gonna get too out of control."

Christopher laughed. "Okay, got it. Anything else?"

Lorelai smiled. "Take good care of her."

Christopher smiled. "We will. Bye Lor."

"Bye." Lorelai stepped back from the car. Luke walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She placed her hands on top of his as the car backed out of the driveway. She smiled and waved at Rory as it pulled away.

When the car disappeared from her view, she turned around and hugged Luke. "I miss her already," she said sadly.

Luke rubbed her back. "I know, me too. Come on, let's go. You need anything else from the house?"

Lorelai nodded. They walked inside. As Luke checked to make sure the doors were all locked, Lorelai collected her duffel bag and garment bag from the living room, then grabbed her purse and jacket from the front hallway. "You have the keys?" Lorelai called.

Luke walked out of the kitchen holding them up. "Yup, let's go." They walked out of the house and locked the front door. They climbed into the Jeep and Luke started the car.

"Oh, hey, can we stop at the diner and get some coffee?" Lorelai asked.

Luke rolled his eyes. "What happens if I say no?"

Lorelai smiled. "Well, then this weekend you will become involuntarily celibate."

Luke sighed. He drove to the diner, and Lorelai got out and walked inside. She walked up to Jess at the counter. "Coffee to go, please."

"Aren't you supposed to be on a trip?" Jess asked.

"Yup, we're just about to leave," Lorelai said. "What are you doing while you have the apartment all to yourself? Throwing a party?"

"Yeah, the strippers are already up there waiting for me," he said, turning around to get the coffee.

"Wow, you didn't waste any time getting 'em over here," Lorelai said, giving an impressed nod.

"I'm very efficient," Jess said. He placed the lid on the cup and set it in front of her.

"Thanks," she said. She dropped a couple of bills on the counter. "Keep the change."

"Thanks." He opened the register. He put in the amount of the coffee and stuck the rest into his pocket. Lorelai picked up her cup, but hesitated a moment before walking away. "What?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "Something on my face?"

She shook her head. "You know, Jess, Luke is really putting a lot of trust in you this weekend," Lorelai said.

"I know that," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"So, you know. . . just please don't make him regret it," she said, giving him a hopeful look. "Please?"

He shrugged. "I'll try."

Lorelai nodded. "Good. Bye." Jess nodded toward her and walked away. Lorelai walked out of the counter and got into the Jeep.

"Geez, took you long enough. Did you have to wait for the shipment of coffee beans to arrive from Columbia?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled and stared straight ahead. "Just drive, Luke." Luke pulled away from the diner. "Are you sure you know how to get there?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "It's only like an hour away. It's easy."

. . .

An hour later, the Jeep was pulled over on the side of the road while Lorelai looked at a map. "You obviously took a wrong turn somewhere," she said.

"I know that much," Luke said, taking the map from her.

Lorelai sighed. "I told you to ask for directions at that gas station, but noooo. . . you had to pull the old 'I'm a guy, I can't ask for directions' routine."

"I told you I can figure it out myself," Luke mumbled, staring at the map.

"Yes, and I have complete faith in you that you can figure it out, but can't we just pretend that you would've eventually figured it out and speed up the process by getting someone to tell us?" Lorelai asked.

Luke shook his head. "Nope, I'll figure it out myself."

Lorelai sighed and leaned back against the seat. She folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window, noticing a 7-11 down the road. She stared down at her empty coffee cup, then turned to Luke. "Hey, how about while you're figuring it out, you pull up the road to that 7-11 so I can get some coffee. Please?"

Luke sighed. "Fine. Hold this," he said, handing her the map. He drove down the road and pulled into the parking lot. She handed the map back to him, then got out of the car. She walked inside, and Luke watched her through the window as she fixed herself a cup of coffee, then walked up to the counter. She paid for it, then she started talking to the clerk. He saw the clerk point out the window a few times before Lorelai smiled and walked away.

Luke rolled his eyes as she walked out of the store and climbed into the Jeep. "Did you just ask for directions?"

Lorelai scoffed. "No! I can't believe you think that I don't trust you enough to figure this out. I have complete faith in you."

Luke sighed. "So what did he say?"

She smiled. "That you missed the turn for I-95 north, and that you just have to go back down this road the way we came and you'll see signs for it."

"I would've figured that out," he muttered, folding up the map.

Lorelai patted him on the shoulder. "I know, honey, I know," she said, frowning sympathetically. "I just didn't want to starve to death while I was waiting for you to do so."

"Hmph," Luke grumbled as he pulled out of the parking lot.

. . .

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the hotel. "Oh my God," Lorelai said, her eyes widening. "This looks like a castle or something."

Luke was just as impressed. "Wow. This place is huge."

"Are you sure you don't have to be a member of the Royal Family to come here, Luke?" Lorelai asked.

He smiled. "I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised though." Luke pulled up near the door where other guests were unloading their luggage. "Here, we'll unload the bags and I'll go park the car."

"I think they have valet," Lorelai said, looking at the other cars.

"I'm perfectly capable of parking the car," Luke said. "I don't need a stranger doing it for me."

"Okay, okay," Lorelai said, waving him off. "Let's go in."

They climbed out of the car, and a concierge immediately brought over a cart and helped them unload their luggage. Lorelai waited with the concierge inside the lobby for Luke to park the car. A few minutes later, he walked into the hotel, glancing around impressively at the high ceilings and expensive furnishings. He took Lorelai's hand and they walked to the front desk to check in.

Several minutes later, the concierge brought them and their luggage up to their room. He unloaded their bags off the cart for them, then stood by the door. "Thanks a lot," Luke said, handing him a tip.

"Thank you sir. Have a pleasant stay," he replied, nodding toward them as he pulled the door shut behind him.

When he was gone, Lorelai threw her arms around Luke's neck and hugged him tightly. "Oh my God, look at this place! We could get lost in this room!" She pulled back from him and grabbed his hand, leading him around the room and pointing out everything. "Here's the living room. . . there's the kitchen area with a fridge and microwave. Ah, it better have a coffee maker. Ooh, it does. Okay, good. What's this?" She pushed open a door. "Wow, look at the size of this bathroom. This is bigger than your apartment, Luke." She laughed. "Oh my God, look at that tub!" she exclaimed. "It's amazing."

Luke smiled at her excitement. "It's nice," he agreed.

She nodded excitedly. "Come on." She pulled him out of the bathroom back into the main room. She stopped in front of the bed. "Oh my God. That's the biggest bed I've ever seen."

Luke laughed. "It's definitely a lot different than my single bed."

Lorelai collapsed onto it. "Oh my God, it's so comfy. Come on, feel it."

Luke fell onto it next to her. "Whoa, that is nice." He reached down and clasped his hand around hers. He turned and smiled at her. "You're beautiful."

She smiled and kissed him. "So are you. Uh, or you might want to substitute a less feminine word that means the same thing."

He smiled. "Thank you." They both sat up and looked around at the huge room. "This is incredible."

"Look at the size of the television," Lorelai said, pointing to it. "Look at . . . just look at everything. It's amazing here. I think I'd like to live here permanently."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, that's not exactly in the budget, but I'll work on it."

She stood up. "Okay, let's unpack and then go get some dinner. I'm starving."

Luke stood up. "Yeah, me too."

Lorelai patted the bed. "Don't worry bed, you'll get plenty of attention after dinner." She looked at Luke and smiled. "That is, of course, unless you had other plans."

Luke smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Uh, no, that's pretty much the only plan I had for the entire weekend."

Lorelai laughed and kissed him. "Sounds good to me."

. . .

PART 18

. . .

Lorelai wandered over to the work desk in the corner of the room and found a stack of brochures. She picked one up and flipped through it. "Huh, this is a brochure of all the services they have here." She picked up another one. "Here're some restaurants and things to do in the area." She picked up a third. "Ooh, the room service menu."

Luke walked over to her. "Do you want room service or do you wanna go down to the restaurant?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm, restaurant. I wanna get all dressed up," she said excitedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "How did I know you were gonna say that?" he muttered as he walked away. She flipped quickly through the rest of the brochures, then walked over to the pile of luggage.

They unpacked their bags, unloading all of their clothes into the bureau and closet. Lorelai took her bag of toiletries into the bathroom and started lining them up on the counter. Luke walked in and his eyes widened. "Oh my God. You trying to start your own cosmetics store?"

Lorelai smiled. "You're mocking now, but you should know that this is only half of my stuff. Rory convinced me not to bring everything."

Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. "Remind me to thank her later." He picked up some of the bottles and looked at the labels. "You don't need all this crap." He picked up one of her compacts and opened it up. His eyes widened. "Okay, this one you need."

Lorelai looked at it and laughed. She grabbed the compact of pills and closed it. "Yeah, unless you want me to exchange my new lingerie for maternity clothes." She unloaded the last few items and tossed her bag on the floor. "Okay, all done."

"Finally," Luke muttered. He turned around and walked out of the bathroom. "What should I wear?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm, black pants with one of your suit shirts."

He made a face. "A suit shirt? Are you kidding?"

She shook her head. "It's a really nice restaurant, Luke. Look at the pictures in the brochure over there," she said, pointing to the desk.

Luke groaned. "All right, I'll wear the stupid suit shirt. What are you wearing?"

She walked over to the closet and unzipped her garment bag. She pulled out a navy blue dress and held it up in front of herself. "This."

"Hmm, nice," he said, nodding approvingly. He pulled his black pants and a suit shirt out of his drawer, then walked into the bathroom.

Several minutes later, the door opened and Luke walked out. Lorelai was already dressed and was sitting in an armchair. She stood up and walked over to him, smiling. "See, I just don't understand why you hate dressing up so much when you always look so good." She ran her hands across his chest, smoothing out his shirt.

Luke looked down at his outfit. "Because I feel like a banker and I hate bankers."

Lorelai smiled. "I promise you that you don't look like a banker." She kissed him. "I have to touch up my makeup, then we can go."

. . .

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the hotel restaurant. Lorelai was buttering a roll as Luke finished up his salad. She glanced around at the surrounding tables, then brought her gaze back to Luke and smiled. "This is really great."

Luke nodded. "Fancy hotels aren't usually my thing, but. . ." He glanced around the room and smiled. "But this is really nice."

Lorelai broke off a piece of her roll and put it in her mouth. She chewed it slowly, then asked, "What do you wanna do tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I haven't thought about it. You?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. There's so much to choose from. Get a massage, take a steam in the sauna. . . ooh, we can relax in the pool. You brought a bathing suit, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going in the pool," Luke said, shaking his head.

"What? Why not?" Lorelai asked, disappointed.

He scoffed and looked at her in disbelief. "Because public pools are a breeding ground for microorganisms and pose a severe risk for infections. I'm not exposing myself to that bacteria, and you really shouldn't either."

"This isn't a public pool, Luke," Lorelai said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like it's in the middle of a town where anybody can go in it. It's at a luxury hotel and spa – a place that can definitely afford to keep it as thoroughly clean as possible."

"There's still a risk," Luke said knowingly.

"You really won't come in with me?" she asked, frowning. He shook his head. "How 'bout if I beg? Pout? Whine? Cry?"

He shook his head continually at all of her suggestions.

She sighed. "Come on, what'll make you go in with me? I'll do anything you want."

He paused for a moment, then his lips formed into a small smile. "Anything?"

Lorelai gasped. "Are you thinking something dirty?" She narrowed her eyes and wagged a finger at him.

He shook his head. "You remember what we passed on the way here, a few miles back? I believe you sarcastically remarked that I'd probably move there if I could," he said, rolling his eyes.

Lorelai thought for a moment, then she grimaced. "No way, don't make me," she whined.

Luke laughed. "Yup."

Lorelai shook her head. "Come on, there's gotta be something else I can do."

Luke shrugged. "Nope, that's the only way you'll get me in the pool. Deal?"

She made a face. "Fine." Lorelai let out a loud sigh and mumbled, "I'll go to the stupid batting cages with you."

Luke smiled. "Good, and I'll go in the bacteria-infested pool with you."

Lorelai frowned. "My part of the deal involves more physical activity. That's not fair. I'm gonna be so sore."

He shrugged. "But then you can come back here and get a massage, so it'll all work out."

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Huh, good point." She smiled and took a sip of wine.

. . .

An hour later, they returned to their room, and Lorelai groaned as they walked through the door. "Ugh, I ate too much."

"I told you not to have that piece of cake," Luke said pointedly. "You should've listened."

"Yeah, but you didn't tell me not to have it because it would make me feel sick, you told me not to have it because it was unhealthy," Lorelai pointed out. "So you don't have a right to the 'I told you so' this time."

"But no matter how you interpret the motives behind me telling you so, the general point remains that I did tell you so," Luke said.

She frowned at him. "Okay, it doesn't matter. Let's just –." Lorelai was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She quickly fumbled through her purse and pulled it out. "Hello?" Lorelai answered. She smiled. "Hey! How was the car ride?. . . Good. . . .Well, that doesn't surprise me. . . You did?" Lorelai laughed. "Good girl. . . . Yeah. . . Uh huh. . . Oh, it was good." She lowered her voice. "He got a little lost."

Luke rolled his eyes at her. "I would've figured it out," he muttered.

Lorelai smiled at him as she talked to Rory. "Oh my God, it's beautiful . . .It's like the room in Pretty Woman, I'm not kidding. I feel like a hooker. . . Yeah. . . Okay. . . Have fun tomorrow. . . Call me tomorrow night. . . Love you too. . . Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and put it back in her purse, then smiled at Luke. "She's fine."

"Good." Luke smiled. "What did she say?"

"Um, that the ride was good, but that Sherry kept trying to make conversation with her, so Rory finally pretended to take a nap," Lorelai said with a laugh.

Luke laughed. "Smart girl."

She nodded. "They're going to Harvard tomorrow to take a tour."

"She'll love that," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded. "She'll have fun." She sighed and clutched her stomach. "Okay, what do you say we get ready for bed, then we watch television or something and pray that this stomachache goes away soon."

Luke nodded. "Sounds good."

Lorelai picked up a brochure from the desk, then walked over and sat down in an armchair. "You can use the bathroom first."

Luke grabbed some clothes from the bureau, and his toothbrush and toothpaste from his suitcase, and walked into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later in boxers and a T-shirt. "All done," he announced.

"Hey, we get a free continental breakfast," Lorelai read from the brochure.

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked, walking over to her. "Good deal."

Lorelai stood up and handed him the brochure. "Here, look through it. It talks about all the services they have. They even have a juice bar so you'll have a place to go while I'm at the coffee shop."

Luke smiled and sat down in the armchair. He started flipping through the brochure as Lorelai walked over to the bureau. She pulled open a drawer and stared at her selection of lingerie, finally selecting a slightly see-through black camisole embroidered with flowers. She brought it, and the matching panties, into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Luke was on the couch flipping aimlessly through the television channels. He stopped and stared at her as she walked out of the bathroom. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly. She stopped at the closet and hung up her dress, then slowly walked toward him.

A smile spread across his face as she walked over and stood directly in front of him. His eyes slowly glazed over her body, quietly taking in every inch of her beauty. He exhaled loudly and looked into her eyes. "You look incredible." She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. Luke put his hands on her waist and kissed her stomach. "Incredible."

"Thank you," she said softly. She kissed his forehead before she sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder. "What are you watching?"

He put his arm around her. "Nothing. Haven't found anything yet." He started flipping through the channels again.

"Ooh, stop," Lorelai said.

"What is it?" Luke asked.

"Bad Lieutenant," Lorelai said. She snuggled closer against him, and his hand slid under her camisole and started gliding over her stomach. She giggled. "I was wondering how long it'd take for you to do that. It's like a magnetic reaction or something." He smiled and kissed her head.

Almost twenty minutes later, Lorelai reached over, picked up the remote control, and turned off the television. Luke smirked as she stood up and grabbed his hand. She pulled him up off the couch and led him over to the foot of the bed.

"So, that stomachache's all gone," Lorelai said, running her hands over his chest.

"Oh yeah?" Luke asked. "That's good."

Lorelai looked down at the bed. "Yeah, and this poor bed looks so sad that no one's using it."

Luke smiled and looked at it. "You're right. And I've read that it's not good to let inanimate objects feel bad."

Lorelai laughed. "That's right. So we should really do something about that - you know, for the sake of the bed."

"For the sake of the bed," Luke agreed. He stepped toward her and their lips met in a passionate kiss. He put his hands on her waist, and Lorelai squeezed the back of his neck gently as the kiss deepened. Their mouths opened; their tongues met and began softly gliding over each other.

As they pulled apart, Luke pushed her hair aside and moved his mouth down to her neck. He kissed it before taking her skin between his lips and sucking on it gently. As he moved to the other side of her neck, Lorelai looked up toward the ceiling and let out a soft moan.

Her hands clutched the bottom of his shirt, and he pulled back long enough for her to slip it over his head. As she dropped it on the floor, his lips went back to her neck, kissing up and down it gently as her hands ran over his shoulders and back. She lifted his face up to hers and kissed him, then kissed a trail down his neck to his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair as she kissed over the soft skin of his upper body.

He placed a hand on her chin and guided her lips up to his. He ran a finger over the embroidery on her camisole, and Lorelai's body surged with excitement as he grazed her breasts. Lorelai's breathing suddenly became very heavy as she raised her arms in the air, encouraging him to remove her top. He lifted it over her head and dropped it on the floor.

Lorelai leaned back and fell onto the foot of the bed, then inched herself up to the pillows. Luke climbed on top of her and immediately brought his mouth to her chest. He sucked on her breasts lightly and ran the tip of his tongue over her nipples. She ran her fingers through his hair and moaned loudly toward the ceiling.

He lifted his head up from her chest and she let out a groan of disappointment as her body craved more contact. She kissed him hungrily, darting her tongue into his mouth aggressively as her arousal increased by the second. He moved his mouth down her chest to her stomach, gliding his tongue over her soft skin. His hands found their way up to her breasts, and he squeezed them gently as he encircled her navel with his tongue.

He brought his hands to the waistband of her panties, and she arched her back to help him remove them. He pulled them down her legs and tossed them on the floor, then glided his hands up and down her long legs. As he kissed her along her thighs, Lorelai's body throbbed with excitement as her arousal intensified.

She leaned forward and ran her hands over his chest and stomach, then moved them down to his boxers. She started to push them down, and Luke helped her by sliding them off and tossing them aside.

She rolled over onto her stomach, then kneeled in front of him and pressed her body against his. From behind her, Luke wrapped his arms around her and caressed her breasts, squeezing and massaging them gently as he kissed the back of her neck. Lorelai placed her hands on the back of Luke's head, pushing him harder against her neck. She groaned loudly as his fingers squeezed her sensitive nipples. She muttered breathlessly, "Oh my God, Luke. . . I need you."

Luke put one hand on the center of her back and gently pushed her upper body downward toward the bed until she was resting on her elbows. As he placed his hands on her waist, Lorelai stared at the headboard, biting her bottom lip and breathing heavy with anticipation. He positioned himself directly behind her and pressed the tip of his hardness against her sex. Lorelai clenched her eyes shut tight as the initial contact caused the throbbing between her legs to intensify. In one quick motion, he pulled her hips toward him and he grunted with pleasure as his hardness disappeared into her.

"OhmyGod!" Lorelai moaned loudly as he filled her, and she buried her face in the pillows. Luke started thrusting into her, keeping one hand on her waist and bringing his other hand up to stroke her hair. She lifted her head up from the pillows and her previously muffled moans became much louder as Luke slid in and out of her wetness.

Luke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her stomach. He pressed his chest tightly against her back as his pelvis moved rhythmically against her. He kissed the soft skin of her neck and back as his hands explored the front of her body, caressing her stomach and chest. He brought one hand up to her mouth and she started sucking on his finger hungrily.

Luke sat back up straight and he gripped her waist tightly with both hands. Letting out a low groan every few seconds, he started pulling her body against his with even more force. "Ugh. . .ugh. . .ugh. . ." Lorelai grunted loudly with every thrust, her face grimacing with extreme pleasure.

After several more deep thrusts, he pulled out of her completely and she let out a loud gasp of disappointment. "Luuuuke," she whimpered, turning around to look at him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around so she was lying on her back. He lay on top of her and entered her again. She let out a small sigh of contentment and guided his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body tightly against hers as he fell back into his rhythm. They stared into each other's eyes as Lorelai began thrusting her pelvis against him, trying to meet his increasing pace.

Luke began pushing into her more forcefully and their groans got louder with every thrust. As the incredible sensations running through her body became overwhelming, Lorelai clenched her eyes shut tight. Her mouth dropped open and her body started quivering, and soon a loud scream echoed throughout the room as she reached her highest point of stimulation.

Luke pushed into her a few more times before he reached his own peak, and he let out a loud groan with his final thrust. He held himself deep inside of her as he exhaled loudly and fell on top of her body in an exhausted state. She wrapped her arms around him as he nuzzled his nose against her shoulder. She felt his deep breaths against her body for a few seconds before he kissed her neck and mumbled softly, "Mmm, I love you so much."

She ran her hands up and down his back. "Love you too," she replied, still panting to catch her breath. They kissed deeply before Luke rolled off of her. She snuggled up against him and closed her eyes, sighing softly as he wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair.

After a few minutes, Lorelai opened her eyes and lifted her head up to look at him. His eyes were closed. "Luke?" she said softly.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"You're not tired yet, are you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No – why, are you?"

"Nope," Lorelai said. She giggled lightly as she ran her hand up and down his leg. "Ready to go again in ten minutes?"

Luke groaned as her hand stroked his inner thigh. "Uh, I think five will be plenty."

. . .

The next morning, Lorelai lay in bed on her stomach as Luke walked out of the bathroom already dressed. He rolled his eyes as he looked at her. "Lorelai, I woke you up twenty minutes ago." He walked over to the bed and sat next to her. "Come on, get up."

She groaned and turned her head the other way. "Just a few more hours," she muttered.

"Come on, it's almost 9:30," Luke said, tapping her on the shoulder.

Lorelai sighed into her pillow. She lifted her head slightly and looked at him, her eyes squinting as they adjusted to the light. "Luke, do you know what happens to people when they wake me up before I'm ready to get up?"

He smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "No, what happens?"

"They get so tired of my resulting crankiness that they end up taking their own lives," she said. She rested her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll just try to stay away from sharp objects today to avoid the suicidal tendencies. Now come on." He pulled the covers off of her.

"Agh!" Lorelai exclaimed, opening her eyes. "It's freezing in here!" She reached for the blanket and pulled it back over herself. He tapped her shoulder repeatedly until she sighed and sat up. "I'm up, I'm up. Go do something useful and start the shower."

"You're gonna take a shower?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," Lorelai said, narrowing her eyes at him. "That's what people do in the morning. Welcome to the world of bathing."

He rolled his eyes. "I mean, you're just gonna get all sweaty when we go to the batting cages. You should take one when we get back."

Lorelai groaned. "Oh, so that wasn't a dream."

"Nope," he said, smiling. "We're going right after breakfast."

She sighed and shrugged. "I'll just take another shower when we get back."

"Fine, come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bed. He led her to the bathroom and gently pushed her through the door. "Go on, do whatever you have to do, and do it fast."

Lorelai made a face at him. "You have too much energy in the morning." She shut the door.

"Thank you," he replied. He walked over and sat down on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on the television.

Almost thirty minutes later, Lorelai walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She walked over to the bureau and pulled open a drawer, then turned to Luke. "Hey Willard, what's the weather gonna be like today?"

He looked over at her and said, "Hot. They just showed the forecast on the news."

"You watch the news?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yup," he said, turning his head back to the television.

She smiled. "Huh. So many fascinating things I've yet to learn about you." She pulled some clothes out of her drawer and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later, Luke heard the hair dryer turn on.

A few seconds after it stopped, Lorelai emerged from the bathroom. She wore a blue sleeveless shirt with denim shorts, and her hair was pulled back into a curly ponytail. She grabbed her sneakers from the closet, then sat next to Luke on the couch.

As she pulled on her first sneaker, Luke turned off the television and ran a finger over her upper arm. "You have perfect arms," he commented.

She looked down at her arm. "Do I? I rarely look at my own arms. Or anybody's arms, for that matter. Well, except yours because they're pretty damn nice, and that tattoo – wow. It's just too sexy for words," she said, smiling. She paused. "Why are we talking about arms?"

Luke smiled. "Because yours are perfect." He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder, running his tongue over it gently. He immediately pulled back and made a face. "Did you put lotion on or something?"

Lorelai laughed. "Yeah, sorry." She pulled on her other sneaker.

"Ugh." He brought his hand to his mouth, trying to wipe the taste off of his lips. "Could you possibly tell me that next time?" he grumbled.

She smiled and stood up. "Well, the next time you get the sudden urge to lick my shoulder, ask me first." She put her hands on her waist and stood in front of him. He stared up at her for a few seconds before Lorelai laughed and said, "Okay, Captain Obvious, stop staring at my chest."

He smiled and stood up. "Hey, you wear a tight shirt like that, it's gonna happen. I can't control my eyes."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Let's go. Where's the free breakfast?"

"Uh, the brochure thing says it's in the lounge. Wherever that is," Luke said with a shrug.

"We'll find it," Lorelai said, walking over to the desk and grabbing her purse.

"Yeah, I'm sure once we step into the hallway, your nose will pick up the coffee smell and lead us right to the food," Luke said. "You're like one of those trained narcotics dogs."

Lorelai laughed and smacked his shoulder playfully. "Hey, you mock, but you'll be surprised at how often that ability comes in handy."

. . .

Several minutes later, with help from one of the maids, they found the lounge. Lorelai's eyes widened immediately. "Oh my God, look at all that food," she said. Several long tables of breakfast foods stretched out in front of her, and she immediately walked over and picked up a plate. Luke smiled and followed behind her, and they made their way along the buffet. Lorelai held the plates as Luke poured some juice for himself and some coffee for her. They walked over to a table and started eating.

"Mm, these eggs are great," Lorelai commented. She looked at his plate, then shook her head and laughed. "All that food up there and you get fruit salad and a bagel."

"Hey, not everyone interprets the phrase 'free continental breakfast' to mean 'eat like a pig'," he said, rolling his eyes at her plate.

"Hey, I'm just getting. . .your money's worth." She took a few more bites of her food, then looked up at him. "Luke, why'd you bring me here?"

Luke put his fork down and narrowed his eyes at her. "What?"

Lorelai gestured around her. "Here, this place. . ." She sighed softly. "I mean, I know how much this is costing you and – "

"Wait, how do you know?" he interrupted.

"Sookie told me how much the rooms are here," Lorelai said quietly as she pushed her eggs around her plate.

"Oh," Luke said, pursing his lips slightly.

"I mean, I don't want to be rude or anything but. . . can you afford spending that much just for a weekend away? It seems kind of. . . I don't know," Lorelai said. "It's a lot of money, Luke."

"Are you having a good time?" Luke asked her.

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "I'm having an incredible time."

He shrugged. "Then don't worry about it."

"But I want you to know that you don't have to spend a thousand dollars for me to be happy," Lorelai said quietly. "You know that, right?"

Luke nodded. "I know." He smiled and shoved a piece of orange into his mouth.

"Okay." She picked up a piece of bacon and brought it to her lips. Then she put it back down and said, "Just tell me that you're not wasting all your hard-earned money that you've been saving so you can buy a new truck or something."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Lorelai, stop worrying about it. I had some money to spend, so I spent it. Let's just enjoy it."

"Okay, okay," Lorelai said, raising her hands in front of her chest. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Luke said, taking a sip of juice. "I wanna ask you something."

Lorelai nodded. "Ask away."

He paused a moment. "You said that. . . Rory thinks of me as a father figure."

Lorelai smiled and nodded. "She does."

"Since. . .we've been dating?" Luke asked.

"Since. . . .forever," Lorelai said, smiling. "Or practically forever. I mean, you've been the main male figure in her life for years, she looks up to you. You've always been around, you've always been there for her. Well, for both of us."

Luke smiled and nodded, but didn't say anything. He took a bite of his bagel and stared into space.

"What are you thinking?" Lorelai asked.

He looked at her and shrugged. "Nothing, really. It's just. . . nice that she thinks like that." He paused. "I mean, I've always felt sort of. . .you know, protective of her like that, so. . ." His voice trailed off.

Lorelai smiled. "So you think of her sorta like. . . a surrogate daughter or something?" He shrugged and gave a little nod. Lorelai tilted her head and smiled. "That's so sweet." She took a sip of coffee and thought for a moment. "You know, this is why she probably likes the idea of us being together. I mean, it makes sense for her mom to be with the guy who's like a father to her."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, it does make sense."

Lorelai smiled and finished up her last piece of toast. She chewed it slowly, then said, "You know, Luke, when I was little, I had a dream that I was at a batting cage and, uh, I got hit in the head with a ball, and um, I had to go to the hospital and I died. And now, whenever I go to a batting cage, I get really, really ill." She frowned. "You don't want me to get really, really ill, do you?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "You're going," he said sternly. "In all relationships you have to make sacrifices. Suck it up."

She wrinkled her nose. "Fine."

"You're gonna have fun," he said. "More fun then I'll have in the stupid pool."

"No way, pools are so much more relaxing," she said. She paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "Why'd you bring your bathing suit if you didn't want to go in the pool?"

"I don't know, I thought I might try out the sauna," Luke said with a shrug. "And I'm sure as hell not going in there naked."

Lorelai laughed. "Ah, I see."

"And I'm still not sure what sitting in a hot room with a bunch of nude people is supposed to be all about, but I guess I'll find out," he said with a shrug.

"I think it cleans out your pores or something like that," Lorelai said.

Luke shrugged. "Huh. Well, you'll have to tell me if you see a difference in my pores."

Lorelai smiled. "Will do." She wiped her lips with her napkin and dropped it on the plate. "I'm done."

He looked down at his plate. "Me too," he said. "Ready to go?"

She smiled. "Yup." They both stood up. She walked over to him and poked him in the chest. "You know, this isn't fair that I have to make my sacrifice first. You better keep your end of the deal."

"I will." He smiled and kissed her.

. . .